Brief Encounter
by Crazy Chick 74
Summary: Completely AU and non-canon. Kara is working at the Academy. The story starts with Kara having arranged to meet Zak for a date.
1. Chapter 1

For a change I've given up the angst-fests and have tried something a little lighter instead. This story revolves around the fact Kara arranged to go on a date with Zak but there is a bit of twist to the story... Enjoy.

**Brief Encounter.**

**Chapter 1.**

Kara stared at him as he entered the room; the smirk she could see on his face only winding her up further. He sat in the second row; a knowing smile on his face. She decided looking at him wasn't going to help her mood so she started studiously ignoring him instead. For just over an hour this plan worked and then it all fell to pieces as everyone left the room; everyone that was, except Zak Adama. He stayed in his seat; it was his turn now to stare at her. Kara decided to carry on with her attempt at ignoring him but it was difficult to do. She sighed as she began to collect the papers on the lectern in front of her into one neat pile.

"Did you have a good night?" His voice broke the silence; his tone teasing her gently.

She could hear the smirk that would be written all over his face and she refused to look at him. "Is there something I can do for you, Cadet Adama?" Her voice gave the impression she wasn't scared witless; but she was. She wasn't sure she was ready to have this conversation; especially not with him.

"I was wondering if you had a good time last night?"

"If you'd bothered to turn up you wouldn't need to ask." He flinched at her rebuked but held fast as she looked up at him briefly before turning back to look at the paperwork. "I can't believe I let myself get stood up by a nugget."

"But you didn't get stood up did you; it just wasn't me that met you. And you had a good time, didn't you?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Did you have a good time, Kara?" He was almost exasperated by her not answering his question.

"I think you lost the right to call me Kara when you stood me up."

He sighed, knowing she wasn't going to admit anything to him. He couldn't really blame her after what he'd done. "I just thought you'd get on with him." He said sullenly.

"Maybe you should do a bit more thinking during class, it may get you somewhere."

His hopes rose. "Are you saying I was right?" He smiled at her quirkily.

****

Kara stood in the bedroom of her apartment wondering if this was a big mistake. Should she really be thinking about going on a date with a student; one in her class to make matters even worse. It was one of the first rules of being an officer; most definitely against the fraternization regulations. This was new to Kara, she'd never even thought about doing this before but there was something about Zak Adama that made her want to break this sacred rule. She knew all the reasons this shouldn't be happening but at the time she couldn't resist the temptation; this was something she'd never even thought about breaking before and she couldn't work out why she was unable to say no to him. Maybe it was because he was almost exactly what she was looking for in a man. Almost but not quite. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she remembered how eager he'd been when she'd finally said yes. After all, this wasn't the first time he'd asked her; it was a regular event that occurred every month or so.

She shook her head and turned her attention to the matter at hand. She was still trying to decide what to wear. What exactly did you wear when trying to seduce someone who was several years younger than you? He had the pick of all the girls in his year; she'd seen the way some of the female cadets flitted around him, hoping for a flash of his smile or some other sign of interest from him. Kara couldn't work out what was it he saw in her but the fact he did see something made her feel good; she realized he wouldn't have kept asking if he hadn't liked her a little bit. Would he?

Her thoughts had drifted again and she turned; frustrated, back to the look in her wardrobe. Clothes were not something she usually paid much attention to. They were a necessity. It was hard to get too precious about them when you spent most of your time in an unflattering, almost masculine, uniform. A uniform that managed to feel more comfortable to Kara than anything she was currently looking at. She knew it was a given she couldn't wear her it for her date though. Nothing like the difference in rank to kill the mood.

She sighed harshly and pulled the pair of black pants from the depths of her locker. She held them up in front of her; turning them around and looking them up and down. They'd do. Now she just had to find something to go with them. She needed to think about that more so she dropped the pants on her bed and began to pull her uniform from her body; leaving it scattered over the floor. She walked to the bathroom and was soon standing under the soothing flow of water. The water was always amazing and she stilled loved how it soothed her after a long day. Her year spent on a battlestar had taught her to appreciate these small details of her life when she returned to Caprica.

Thirty minutes later she was back in her room standing in front of the mirror; trying to give an honest appraisal of her appearance. Another sigh slipped from her lips and she lowered her gaze. Her mother was so right about her. There was little hope of Zak wanting anything to do with her. She wasn't going to give up hope though. She put on a small touch of make-up; nothing too dramatic but enough to make it look as if she'd made an effort.

She decided at the last minute to put on the nicest underwear she owned; a gift from a previous boyfriend which she hadn't appreciated at the time. It was unlikely Zak would get to see it but it made her feel better wearing it. She pulled her pants up her leg and fastened them at the waist. This just left her once more with her quandary as to what top to wear. She walked around her room and picked the various elements of her uniform from the floor; taking calming breaths as she tried to focus on the matter at hand. She was still drawing a blank but suddenly remembered an impulse purchase she'd made a few months back. She rooted through the hangers in her locker and there right at the back was a top that was perfect for tonight. She pulled it out of the locker and again twirled it in her hand; wondering if it was the right thing to wear. She shook her head and pulled the button up blouse up her arms. It wasn't like she had a lot of other options. She stood in front of the mirror and examined her reflection once again. The black top was set off by her pale skin and there was a slightly sparkly effect in the detail of the front which caught the light as she turned in front of her image. It would have to do.

****

She walked out of her apartment and to her jeep which was parked out the front. The drive was relatively short to the restaurant where she was meeting Zak and she parked it; making sure it was secure as she'd probably be leaving it there overnight. Her heart was beating a little faster as she walked towards the entrance. As she walked through the door she saw the room was dimly lit and she found that oddly comforting because she knew the two of them could almost hide from everyone else.

The maitre'd came over to her and ask her what name the reservation was in. "Adama." She replied. He nodded and gestured for her to follow him as he meandered through the tables. He pulled a chair out for her and she sat in it.

"Your companion called a couple of minutes ago and said he was running a little late. He sends his apologies." Kara nodded at him; a small smile on her face. "Can I get you a drink while you wait?"

"Just a glass of water would be great, thanks."

He walked away from her table and towards the bar. Kara looked around the room as she sat waiting for Zak. The choice of venue surprised her. It didn't seem the kind of place Zak would frequent on a regular basis. She'd imagined more of a burger bar for him and yet something seemed so right about this place. The waiter had left a menu in front of her and she spent the next few minutes looking through the list of mouth-watering dishes. Her drink arrived and she sipped from the glass, still looking at the food options. She was so caught up in what she was looking at, she failed to notice the maitre'd coming back to the table. She looked up as the other guest sat down in the chair opposite her. A look of shock appeared on her face as she realized the person on the other side of the table wasn't Zak Adama.

"You must be Kara." He said quietly.

"You're not Zak Adama." She replied; a slight accusation in her voice.

He blinked as he finally registered the look on her face. "He told you he was meeting you, didn't he?"

"That was the impression I was given, yes."

He looked away from her for a second and frowned as he realized she didn't seem to be as pleased with her companion as he was. "Sorry. He told me he'd arranged a date for me. I assumed you'd know it was me turning up." Their waiter placed a glass of water on the table before him and he took a quick sip. "I'm going to kill him for doing this."

"Not if I do it first." She thought about doing just that for several seconds.

"Brothers can be a pain sometimes." He shrugged at her.

"I wouldn't know; I'm an only child." She changed the subject quickly before it deviated further towards the last topic she wanted to discuss. "So, Zak Adama's brother, is this something he does for you often?" For the first time since he'd sat at the table opposite her she smiled at him; even if it was because she was teasing him.

"Gods, how rude of me. My name's Lee. Lee Adama, but I guess you knew that bit already." He stuck his hand out towards her and she shook it firmly. "As for Zak setting me up on dates, no it's not something he usually does. I'd usually never let him do something like this. He seemed to think we'd get on. He was determined to make it happen. He's been talking about it for the last few months, ever since he started your class. You've made quite an impression on him."

"Yeah, right." She murmured.

Her eyes were glancing around the room and Lee watched her silently. Finally he spoke. "Do you want to go? Since he got you here under false pretences."

Shame hit her like a punch. It wasn't Lee's fault; she should behave better than this. "Sorry." She looked back down at the menu. "This just feels a little strange. It wasn't what I was expecting."

"I know. I'm sorry he did this to you but let's not let it spoil what could be a good evening."

"You're right." She smiled at him. "Have you had a chance to look at the menu?"

"I've been here before. I really like this restaurant, so yes I know what I'm going to order."

"I thought this didn't seem like Zak's kind of restaurant. Now I realize why."

The waiter came over and took their orders before walking away. Lee looked around the room for a second. "Zak hates this place but I love the atmosphere; the dim lighting; the privacy from other tables. The food's really good here as well."

"So you always bring your dates here then?"

He smiled at her broadly which caused her to smile in response. "Hardly."

"So you don't date then?"

"That's not what I said. I just don't bring girls here."

"Why not? What made you decide to make the exception tonight?"

"I'm not sure really." He paused. "Sorry, that sounded really bad. It wasn't a conscious decision, I guess. Zak had mentioned you so much and I felt like I already knew you. When Zak told me you'd agreed to go out with me I just knew this was the place I wanted to meet you." He looked at her and saw a faint blush on her cheeks. "I guess I wanted to impress you; to make you'd think I was worth the effort."

"I think you're well on the way to impressing me, Lee, don't worry." Their first course arrived and both fell into silence as they ate. Kara put her cutlery down as she finished and looked up to find Lee watching her. Another blush crept to her face and her hands fiddled with her knife and fork as she struggled with the intensity of his gaze. "That tasted amazing. I can't wait for the next course." She looked at Lee again and he was smiling at her now.

"Tell me about yourself, Kara."

"There's really not much to tell. I'm sure Zak has told you more than enough about me."

"He said a few things, but I want to really get to know you."

"Lee, really there's nothing to say. I'm much more interested in finding out about you. After all, I'm at a disadvantage because I know nothing about you. I didn't even know Zak had a brother."

"You didn't? I assumed someone would've mentioned it."

"Why would they do that?"

"I used to go to the Academy; a few years back."

"You did? Zak never mentioned it."

"I'm sure he didn't." It was Lee's turn to look embarrassed.

"Does this mean you're a pilot too?"

"Yeah. I fly Vipers. I'm currently serving on the Atlantia."

"Wow. That's a great ship. You must be good."

"I'm okay." Somehow, just from looking at his face she knew he was underplaying it a little. "You must be pretty good to be teaching at the Academy." He paused. "How long is it since you finished there?"

"Just over two years. I did a year on a battlestar and then got asked to come back and train the cadets."

"I was a couple of years before you then. Do you enjoy it?"

"You mean my job?" He nodded, "Yeah. I didn't think I would, but I do. I get a buzz from it."

"What about when they aren't working out. That must be tough?"

She stared at him. Did he know? "It's difficult but if they aren't good enough to be in a Viper then they shouldn't be there. It'd be stupid and dangerous to pass them if they don't deserve to."

Lee looked into her eyes and saw a hint of something there. Suddenly he knew what she wasn't saying. "He's not got what it takes, has he?" He didn't have to say who it was he was talking about. There was silence for a little while; broken by the arrival of their next course. She began to eat, trying to work out what to say. Lee spoke before she worked it out. "It's okay. I know he's hasn't got it. He shouldn't be at the Academy. He knows it too. He's doing it to please our dad."

"Your dad."

"William Adama. He's currently commanding the Galactica."

"Of course. I can't believe I didn't put it together. There can't be that many Adama's around."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I know." She took another mouthful and chewed it quickly so she wouldn't have to speak for a little while longer. Finally she could put it off no longer. "I tried to talk to him at the beginning of this semester; told him he should maybe give flying Raptors a try but he wouldn't listen to me."

"So, is he going to fail?"

"I don't know if I can pass him. I'm sorry, Lee but he just doesn't have the necessary skill."

"I know." He smiled at her slightly. "It's okay. I won't hold it against you."

"I just hope Zak doesn't when I have to fail him."

"Maybe." They ate the rest of their meal in silence; not speaking again until their plates had been collected. Slowly they started to talk to each other; both of them opening up a little to the other. Kara began to see something in Lee she hadn't expected. She could feel the bubble of attraction welling in her stomach and it wasn't just because he was exceedingly good looking; which he definitely was. He was also an extremely likeable person and she could tell he was trying really hard to impress her.

"Do you want a dessert?" he asked her when he saw their waiter hovering in the distance.

"I could be persuaded… but only if you share it with me." She smiled at him brightly.

"I think that can be arranged," he said. He pushed the menu towards her. "Choose something you want then." She studied the menu; feeling the weight of his gaze on her as she did so. The waiter came over but she looked at Lee as she said what she'd chosen. He smiled at her softly with a slight nod of his head as he agreed with her choice and then asked the waiter to bring two spoons with the pudding. The waiter walked away again; taking their order to the kitchen. "Good choice." He said. He leaned forward in his seat and placed his hand on hers.

Kara felt his hand resting on hers and she was sure she was blushing again. There was definitely something about Lee that intrigued her. She looked into his eyes and got caught in the blueness before her. She swallowed as she felt her heart racing. "If you're good, I'll let you have some." She whispered.

It was Lee's turn to be silent as he stared at her wide-eyed. His hand tightened on hers and her eyes flickered to look at where it rested before returning to his hypnotic eyes. "I don't think you'll be disappointed." He said back.

"I'm difficult to please, Lee…" They were openly flirting with each other now and Kara was enjoying it immensely.

"I think I can match your needs."

His double entendre sent her head into a spin. "You know, I think you probably can as well." The pudding arrived and Kara passed him his spoon before tucking into the ice cream between them. He watched her for a few seconds and then also began to eat the desert. Their spoons tangled with the others and they both laughed; then beginning a duel with them. Lee grabbed her spoon from her hand and scooped some of the cold desert up and then held it out towards her. She leaned forward; maintaining eye contact with him and wrapped her lips around the spoon. She did the same as he'd done and his eyes closed as he savored the cold sweet in his mouth.

TBC

A/N: Please review... this is something quite different to what I usually right so I'd be interested to hear what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I'm sure some of you will be pleased to hear that this chapter has our two beloved pilots - getting down and dirty with each other... and that's about it really. Back to the story with the next chapter - I just couldn't resist. :-)

**Chapter 2.**

All too soon the meal was over and Lee asked for the bill. Once they'd finished eating Lee had taken her hand back in his, this time weaving his fingers through hers and his thumb brushing the back of her hand. The waiter brought the bill over and Lee paid for it without a second glance; continuing to look at her instead.

"Let me give you some money towards the meal, Lee."

"Kara, this is my treat. It's a date after all – even if it took my brother to set it up for us; let me take care of the bill. Please."

She stared at him before finally nodding her agreement. They walked out of the restaurant together; Lee's hand in the small of her back as they weaved through the tables. Once they were outside Kara turned to face him. "What do you want to do now, Lee?"

He stepped closer to her. "This." He whispered and then his lips were on hers and they were kissing. The moment seemed so natural. It was a kiss that built as the seconds passed. His hand was still on her back and pulled her closer to him. His other hand wove through her hair and held her head in place. His tongue swept across her lips and she quickly opened her mouth and allowed him entrance. Her tongue brushed against his and she almost purred as she heard him groan gently. Eventually the kiss had to end and he reluctantly pulled his mouth from hers; just enough so they could both catch their breath. "Amazing." He stared into her eyes. "Is it okay that I did that?"

She nodded. "Wow." Was all she could say; her eyes fluttering shut as she savored the way she was feeling. She opened her eyes again and then reached behind her to grab his hand; squeezing it hard as she stared at him. She dragged him behind her as she walked down the street; taking the shortest route she could to get back to her jeep. Neither of them had drunk any alcohol at the meal and both were completely sober, so she was more than able to drive. She climbed into the jeep and released his hand and stared at him. "Are you getting in?" He smiled at her and walked round the front of the jeep and then climbed into the passenger seat beside her. She started the engine and the tires screeched as she drove down the street back towards her apartment.

They were both silent as she drove along the road. There wasn't any need for words; they both knew what was happening and both wanted it to happen. Lee's arm was resting on the back of the seat behind her and weird sensations were being created in Kara as his thumb occasionally brushed against her arm. She parked outside her apartment and turned her head to look at him. He smiled at her and then leaned forward and brushed his lips softly against hers. It was a short kiss but held the promise of more to come.

Both quickly got out of the jeep and Lee followed behind Kara as she walked towards her door; fumbling slightly as she tried to get the key in the lock. It was difficult when his lips were caressing her neck in a way that should be classed as illegal in most of the colonies. They walked slowly into her flat; his lips still on her neck and his hands around her waist; holding her body against his chest. She dropped her keys on the floor as her head fell back onto his shoulder. Kara reached behind them both and pushed the door shut with a slam.

The noise of the door made him pause briefly before resuming his kiss on her neck. His hands pulled at the hem of her blouse; lifting it so they could slip beneath and brush across her skin. She shivered as his fingers worked their magic on the skin of her stomach. She'd been inactive long enough and she struggled to regain some of her composure so she could turn in his arms to face him. He stared at her as she stood in front of him. "You're beautiful," he whispered.

She was reluctant to believe him; no one having said that to her before but one look at his face convinced her he was speaking the truth. Her hand moved up to touch his face. "I want you to know I don't usually do this."

"Neither do I."

She kissed him and he pulled her into his arms; lifting her feet off the floor and wrapping her legs around his waist. Their kiss deepened as he walked them slowly further into her flat. Kara could feel the muscles of his arms beneath his shirt and jacket as his arms held her against him. She longed to feel the full force of those muscles and knew it wouldn't be long before she did so. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her fingers were in his hair. Her mouth moved from his and kissed across his face until she reached his ear. "Take me to bed, Lee." She murmured.

He groaned at her words but seemed to agree with her sentiment. She directed him towards her bedroom and it wasn't long before they were both lying on her bed. They were kissing again and trying desperately to pull the other's clothes from their body in a frenetic dance of limbs and mouths. His mouth moved from hers again; slowly descending down her neck; causing her pulse to race once more. They were now virtually naked; both just wearing their underwear.

Kara could feel his arousal; semi rigid against her leg and starting to strain against the material of his boxers. She was as turned on as he appeared to be but she wondered if he realized just how she felt. Her hand descended and rested on his cock as it hardened between them. He paused kissing her as her fingers pushed beneath the material of his boxers so she could get to her goal.

"Kara…" he moaned against her neck.

She pulled away from him slightly so she could look at his face and watched his reaction as she gripped his cock in her hand. Her hand began to move; stroking his length and she saw his eyes roll back into his head as she worked him to full erection. He helped her as she moved his underwear down his legs and then he was lying next to her; naked. He was so beautiful but she knew she could never tell him that. As she'd suspected his arms were muscular and she could see his washboard stomach just above his cock. As her eyes took in his length, she licked her lips and it was seeing this that seemed to spur him into action.

Lee's hands moved up to her chest and cupped her breasts; a perfect fit for his palms. She was still wearing her bra and panties and longed to be as naked as he was but couldn't work up the energy to take them off. She didn't want to stop touching him for a second and part of her was even more turned on at the prospect of him removing them for her.

He rolled them so he was now on top of her and as he did his hands slipped round her back and unfastened her bra. He pushed it from her shoulders and she let him pull the straps down her arms and away from her body. Her hand quickly moved back to his cock and her thumb brushed across the tip; making his eyes shut and his lips move to cover hers as he encouraged her into another kiss. Her hand stilled as the passion built between them. His hands descended down her body and his fingers worked into the sides of her panties. He pulled himself away from her and then pulled them down her legs so she was now as bare as he was. He looked down at her; Kara noticing his eyes resting on her breasts as they rose up her body. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers again and then rose to his feet and strode to his clothing on the floor to retrieve a condom from his wallet.

Soon he was back on the bed beside her and she took the small packet from his hand. She tore the wrapper and sheathed his cock within the delicate protective barrier. She could feel his eyes watching her hands as they worked on him and she could swear he was holding his breath. She looked into his eyes once she was finished and smiled at him tenderly.

Time seemed to stand still for an infinite amount of time and yet also move quicker than it should as Lee moved them so he was lying on top of her once more. One hand was on her breast again and the other moved to the junction of her legs. His fingers brushed across her clit and then descended lower; finding her wet and eager for his touch. She moaned into the room and squirmed slightly beneath him as she tried to get him to touch her more; harder. Lee pushed a finger into her and another moan slipped past her lips. She wished it was his cock that was buried in her but knew she should enjoy this experience while it lasted; he would soon be in her; there would be time for her to enjoy that later. His mouth was descending again down her neck and she thought he'd do as he'd done earlier but it moved even lower and soon his lips were pulling a nipple between them and into his mouth. In combination with his hand on her other breast and his finger moving in and out of her; there was a delicious breadth of emotions flowing through her.

Kara moaned his name; little more than a murmur as he added another finger into her. Her hands moved down and around his body and pulled his ass towards her; trying to encourage him to do as she was so desperate for him to. His mouth switched to her other breast and he added another finger; stretching her a little but not causing any pain; not the bad kind anyway. He could obviously feel her increasing arousal as his mouth pulled from her chest after about a minute and rose back up her body until he reached her mouth once more. Just as he was placing his lips on hers, she whispered softly against his mouth, "Please…"

His mouth curved into a smile and then he kissed her; his tongue brushing against hers again and he shifted on the bed above her; nudging her legs further apart. His fingers increased in speed within her and she pulled her mouth from his as they brushed against that spot within her that so many of her previous boyfriends had either ignored or couldn't be bothered to locate. She closed her eyes rather than see him staring at her as she came; she felt a little exposed but at the same time elated he'd made sure she reached her peak before he took what he wanted. Somehow she seemed to know he'd use that strategy every time.

He was still watching her when she opened her eyes and she could feel the blush coloring her face and chest. It was at times like this she wished she wasn't so fair skinned. Lee broke the silence, "I want you so much, Kara Thrace."

"Then take me, Lee because I want you too." He didn't immediately react to her invitation so she reached down and took him in her hand again. She moved him so he was at her entrance and he pulled his hand from within her; his fingers brushing against hers as they left her. "Lee, I want this as much as you do. I need you; I don't think I can wait much longer."

"I'll try my best to meet your needs." He whispered as he slowly pushed into her; stopping briefly as he edged inside.

As he moved into her she could feel him stretching her; he felt so much bigger than he'd looked. Kara was suddenly pleased he taken the time to prepare her; each gradual movement he made caused a delicious pain to build within her. She already knew this was going to be amazing and he would live up to his promise at the restaurant. "I don't think you'll have any problems, Lee." She murmured; her words struggling to escape as he pushed deeper.

He was now buried within her and he held his position and stared down at her. "How do you want this, Kara?"

"Huh?" She looked up at him in confusion; trying to move beneath him so he would begin the dance.

His voice was husky as he spoke and for the first time Kara realized what effect she was having on him. "Do you want this hard and fast or soft and gentle? I'm happy either way so it's up to you."

Her mind blanked for a second as the prospect of either option rushed through her. "Gods, hard and fast, Lee." She gasped. She watched his reaction and she was sure she saw a flash of disappointment cross over his face. "There'll be time for soft and gentle later." She added and she saw the relief more clearly on his face.

He stared at her; a slightly goofy expression appearing on his face. "As you wish." He said and she knew it was a promise. "Hold on." He advised her.

Her hands reached above her head and took hold of the bars of the headboard; taking heed of his last words as he finally he began to move; Kara's pulse instantly began to race as his speed and force increased. His mouth was kissing her again; never resting in one place for too long. She could tell he was enjoying this as much as she was. Each stroke inwards pushed a little bit deeper and she could feel the telltale sign of her orgasm approaching fast. It now seemed important to her that he reach that magic moment at the same time she did. She released one hand's grasp and reached for his head. His mouth was on her breast now and she felt his teeth graze the surface as her fingers brushed through the hairs at the nape of his neck. His pace was increasing and his hands were gripping her hips tightly; probably marking her skin but she didn't care. She started moving with him; desperate for him to get to his peak. She murmured his name and he pulled his head away from her; looking down at her. His name fell from her lips again as he continued to move within her and she pulled his face down to meet hers.

Their tongues did battle with one another as another kiss ensued. His movements were beginning to falter slightly and she was sure he was as close to coming as she was. Her legs wrapped around his waist again; changing the angle he had within her slightly so he managed to get even deeper within her. Their kiss slowed slightly and he decreased the pace of his movements as he struggled to regain some composure. It wasn't only their tongues that were doing battle; they both seemed to be waiting for the other to come first and they were both battling to ensure they didn't beat their partner. "Lee, come with me, please." She gasped against his mouth. He pulled his mouth from hers and stared down at her; taking in the desire on her face as she struggled for breath. His next kiss was gentle and as he pushed into her one final time she broke around him. She cried out his name as she came and felt his length pulsing within her as he reached his peak just seconds later. They were still kissing minutes later as they both calmed down; his weight pressing her into the mattress and his hands touching her skin in gentle caresses. Kara's legs were still wrapped around his waist and his fingers brushed the skin of her thighs as she loosened her grip on him. Her mouth still brushed his and she could feel the desire beginning to amplify within her again.

"Amazing," he murmured against her cheek and she smiled as she realized he'd used the same description she'd thought when he first entered her.

"I'm not finished with you yet, Lee." She whispered.

His eyes opened and he met her gaze as she smiled at him. "I may need a small break."

"Have I wore you out?" she teased.

"Hey, it was me doing all the work…" he explained.

"Next time then, I'll put as much effort into it as you just did." She promised him. "You'd better get your rest, Lee; you're going to need it." She pushed on his shoulder and they rolled so she was partly lying on top of him; his cock slipping from her as they moved. She reached to the bottom of her bed and pulled the blanket up and over them both. He removed the condom and threw it away and then pulled her back into his arms.

"I guess I'll have to thank my brother."

"I'm still going to kill him, Lee, so you'd better get in quick."

"Let's enjoy the rest of the night first, shall we."

"'kay." She was beginning to drift off to sleep and the feel of his hand brushing the skin at the base of her spine was easing her ever closer.

Lee watched her as she dozed; her head resting on his right shoulder. This was not what he'd been expecting from his date. He really did have a lot to thank his brother for. Kara Thrace was the epitome of everything he never usually went for and yet she was exactly the right girl for him. He'd known it within the first minute of talking to her. There was a spark between them he'd felt immediately. He suspected he loved her; could someone fall in love that quickly? It was definitely a new experience for him. She shifted against him as she slept and his eyes closed as he felt her hand tighten on his arm and then her snuggle into him more.

****

As her eyes opened she smiled when she realized Lee was still there. She'd thought he'd have gone while she slept but he hadn't. She knew she felt something for him and she hoped he was going to feature heavily in her future. She glanced at the time and saw it was relatively early; there were still several hours until she needed to go to work. Plenty of time for what she had planned. She smiled and kissed his shoulder softly. He stirred in his sleep and her smile grew as he whispered her name and pulled her closer. Her fingers moved to the tags around his neck and she touched them reverently. She suddenly had the desire to fly with him; instinctively she knew he would challenge her in the sky as much as he'd done earlier in her bed.

Her hand drifted slowly down his body; watching the muscles of his stomach quiver as her touch tickled. His cock moved against his thigh as she traced her finger along it and she smiled. An infinite number of ideas ran through her mind as she considered what she wanted to do to this God in her bed. She felt the moment he woke without having to see his face. His hand began to move at the base of her spine again and she heard his heart rate increase in his chest beneath her ear.

"What are you doing, Kara?" he whispered.

She looked up at him as he spoke, "I thought it was time for round two." She said softly. Her hand circled his shaft and stroked it softly as they stared into each other's eyes. It didn't take more than a couple of minutes for her hand to bring him to full erection. "I believe I said I'd put more effort into it this time."

"You did." He gasped as her hand still stroked him; more firmly now than she had.

She retrieved another condom and slipped it onto him with ease. She pulled herself up so she was kneeling beside him. Her hands rested on his chest as she moved to straddle him and lowered herself so she sat on his legs; his cock just in front of her. "I think this time I want it soft and gentle, Lee. Does that sound okay?"

"Yessssssssssss." He hissed; her hand moving once more to his cock; grazing it softly before cradling the balls nestling at its base.

The fingers of her other hand slipped down her body and she touched her clit and then her opening. She closed her eyes as she worked two fingers into her body; she was already wet and close to the edge. Touching him and herself at the same time felt outstanding and she strived to make sure her hand on him moved at the same speed her other one did. Lee was staring at her; she could feel the weight of his eyes on her but she didn't look at his face; knowing it would be enough to push her over the precipice. She released hold of him and leaned back; resting all of her weight on one hand and moved her fingers in and out at a faster pace. His hands moved to her knees and then slowly up her legs. His thumb pressed against her clit and she shook as she sat on his legs. "Lee, stop. I don't want to come yet and if you carry on like that, I will." His hands moved further down her legs; still slightly gripping the skin. She opened her eyes as his hands moved; her hand still moving within her; albeit at a now slower pace.

"Are you going to sit there all day, Kara?" he said softly.

She shook her head and then lifted back up onto her knees; pulling her fingers from deep within her. Once she was kneeling she hovered above his length and looked into the blue of his eyes. He held her gaze and smiled at her. Slowly she lowered herself onto him and he stretched her open again. He grabbed her hand; the one she'd just been touching herself with and pulled her two fingers into his mouth. She almost came there and then as she saw and then felt him lick her fingers. She knew he'd be able to taste her on her fingers and that thought sent shivers down her spine.

She started to move; keeping the pace as slow as she could. Her knees squeezed the side of his body as she used her muscles to control her movements. His hands were still on her thighs and they gradually crept higher. His mouth released her fingers and he kissed the palm of her hand gently. One of his hands touched her clit again; softer than it had earlier but enough that she could feel it there. She leaned forward so her hands were above his shoulders; inadvertently pushing his fingers into her clit harder and causing his cock to brush against that sensitive spot. She closed her eyes as she felt the familiar strum of her orgasm slamming through her fast. Her arms collapsed beneath her weight and she fell onto her lower arms. This had the advantage of enabling her to kiss him softly; her tongue brushing slowly against his. His other hand moved to her back and he held her gently as she kissed him thoroughly.

Kara was still moving on him as she kissed him; the movements smaller but the feelings they were instilling no less felt. She dragged her lips from his mouth and stared down at his face. He stared right back at her. She smiled at him and her hand brushed the side of his face. She rolled to one side; pulling him with her so they lay face to face. They both moved against each other; Kara beginning to feel the heady elation of another peak nudging ever closer. The pace they were moving was slower now than it had been earlier but Lee was breathing deeply; Kara was convinced he was very near to falling over the edge as well. Her mouth met his again and her tongue forced its way into his mouth. Both her hands cradled his head as she kissed him thoroughly.

Lee groaned into her mouth as his cock throbbed deep within her. Kara smiled against his mouth as she felt him fall apart gradually after the initial explosion; she increased her movement on him slightly and his hands moved back to her hips; clutching them again. He still thrust in and out of her; his movements more frantic now as he rode the tidal wave of emotions pushing through him. Kara was tantalizingly close and the feeling of him pulsing within her made the moment ever nearer. One of his hands rose up her body and he cupped her breast again; a finger and thumb tweaking her nipple softly. It was enough to push Kara past the point of no return. She cried out softly as her body began to spasm around him; his movements renewed within her and Kara moved with him drawing out the length of her peak for as long as she could.

Lee pulled her against him; stopping moving but not pulling away from her. Never had he experienced something like this with any of his previous girlfriends. The connection he'd never felt with anyone; it wasn't just the physical connection which they both seemed to have perfected but they also seemed to have connected with each other on a much deeper intimate level. Her face was resting against him and he could feel her breath tickling the hairs on his chest.

"Okay, I need to get some rest now. I need to get up in a couple of hours."

"I'm not sure I'm finished with you yet, Kara." He teased her with her earlier words to him before kissing the top of her head.

"Can you let me get some sleep?"

"And you teased me about being worn out earlier."

Kara was fighting her tiredness; she didn't want to go to sleep. She wanted to do so much more with Lee but her body was screaming for her to get some rest. "Tomorrow, I'm going to ravish you, Lee Adama."

He smiled; already looking forward to the prospect of her doing just that. "I can't wait."

TBC

A/N: Please review - I just love feedback.


	3. Chapter 3

So after the slight detour of the last chapter, the story resumes... well okay, there may another little deviation but what the hell! I can't resist a naked Lee... and neither can Kara apparently. :-)

**Chapter 3.**

Zak coughed as he stood watching his flight instructor before him. She looked at him; a slightly startled expression on her face. "So, are you saying I was right?" he repeated.

She shook away the memories of her date and turned back to Lee's brother; a frown marring her face. "There's no need to look so smug, Zak."

"I knew it!"

"Cadet Adama, haven't you got somewhere you should be going?" She was longing for him to leave… before she said something she shouldn't.

"Not particularly. I'd rather be finding out all the details from last night."

Frak. "I'm not telling you anything." Even as she said it she knew she'd confirmed something had happened.

Realization struck. "My Gods, you didn't…"

She knew what he was asking but wasn't going to come right out and say it to him. She shifted as he stared at her and her muscles protested slightly; another reminder of just what she'd done with Lee the night before. "Didn't what?" She tried to look as innocent as she could; which was difficult.

He stared at her. "You did! You slept with him!" A smile crept onto his face. "I didn't think Lee had it in him."

"Just what are you trying to say, Zak?"

Zak knew he was treading on shaky ground but plowed on anyway. "Nothing. It's just not usual behavior for Lee, that's all. Sleeping with someone he barely knows is not how he behaves."

He was beginning to annoy her now; her anger towards him was increasing much as it had been an hour earlier. "Are you saying I'm easy?" Zak's eyes widened at her words. "I'd think very carefully before you answer the question, Zak."

"Gods, of course I don't. Don't get me wrong, Kara, I think it's fantastic the two of you got together; it's just Lee likes to think about things a lot before he acts. So was it a onetime thing or are you going to see him again?"

"I think you should be going now before you say something that'll really frak me off. Anyway I've got somewhere I need to be."

Zak picked up his backpack and walked towards the exit of the room. He thought about what she'd just said and another smile came to his face. "Say hi to Lee for me." He said cheekily and then left the room while he still could.

****

Lee opened his eyes and for a second he wondered just where he was. He was clearly lying in a bed that wasn't in his brother's room. It definitely wasn't a guest room at the Academy either; the bed was far too nice for that. His memory finally came flooding back to him. He'd gone back to Kara's home the previous night. Kara… his thoughts drifted away momentarily as he remembered what had happened.

The room was bathed in sunlight and he knew without looking that she wouldn't be in the bed beside him. She'd said she had to leave early in the morning and he'd somehow managed to sleep through her leaving. The disappointment he felt at missing see her before she left was great. He rolled onto his back and draped an arm over his face and sighed deeply as memories of what they'd done the night before continued to float through his brain. He wished they'd been able to do more but they'd both had long days before they'd met.

He wondered if he should leave. Was she expecting him to be gone when she came back? This was unchartered territory for Lee and he had no idea just what to do in this circumstance. Usually he knew a girl for much more than a couple of hours before he took this step with her. He didn't regret what he'd done with Kara the night before but it now left him in a bit of quandary. He rolled over in the bed and his arm dropped to the pillow next to him; Kara's pillow. His eyes opened as he felt the paper beneath his wrist. It was a note; a note for him.

He smiled as he realized Kara had left it for him. He opened the folded piece of paper and read it quickly.

Lee,

I've had to go to the Academy to take a class but I won't be gone too long. I hope you're still here when I get back. As I said last night, I'm not finished with you yet. And I may have a surprise for you too.

Thanks for a great first date last night. I hope there will be a second; a third and many more. Is it too soon to say something like that? 

I'll be back soon.

Love Kara. xx

Love! It was such a small word but it had a big impact on Lee. He re-read the letter; trying to extract as much information from the few words as he could. He sat up in her bed; deciding he should get up; it wouldn't do for her to find him still in bed when she got back; although it wouldn't necessarily be the worst thing in the Colonies if it did happen. He threw back the covers and was quickly walking across the room when he heard a whistling sound behind him.

"Well, if I knew I was going to get this sort of welcome, I'd have come home earlier." It was Kara. He spun round to face her and the smile on her face grew wider. "It just gets better and better." Lee stood fixed to the spot, watching as she walked towards him… almost stalking him like prey. Finally she was inches from him. "Hi." She said softly; her eyes staring into his and shining brightly. He stared back at her; a smile growing on his face. Her hand came up to his face and cupped his cheek. "Your brother is an annoying jerk, did you know that?"

"I'm familiar with that concept; especially the last few years. He does have a good few points though."

"I find that hard to believe."

"If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have met." He pointed out reasonably.

Her eyes widened as she realized he was right. "Frak! I was looking forward to making his life a misery."

Lee smirked at her and knew he'd just saved his brother from a lot of pain. They were both silent for a minute. Kara's eyes slowly lowered down his body and then lifted back to his face; an eyebrow rose in question. It suddenly occurred to him he was completely naked in the middle of her bedroom while she stood before him in her dress uniform. "I was on my way to have a shower." Lee explained.

"Really?" Another smile eased up the corners of her mouth. She seemed to think about what he'd said for some time; staring into his eyes as if trying to see into his core. "Fancy some company?" she whispered, before leaning forward and kissing him gently. His mouth opened to her insistent tongue and he smiled against her lips before his tongue brushed against hers.

"I think you've convinced me." He eventually managed to say; as if there had ever been any doubt he would agree to what she'd suggested.

"Good because I've got plans for you." She backed towards the bathroom; her hands clutching his and pulling him with her.

"You have?"

"Uh huh." Within minutes they were ensconced in the small bathroom and Lee was helping remove the uniform from his willing partner.

"You looked amazing last night; Kara but there's something about seeing you in this uniform that turns me on."

She smiled at him; knowing how true his words were as she could see his body reacting to her. "If you're really good, I might let you see me in a flight suit some time."

"Well there's motivation for me," he smirked at her. "That I can't wait to see but you know something…" he said.

"What?" she said softly as he removed her underwear; leaving her as naked as he was.

"I prefer you like this." He said softly.

"You do?" He pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply; reaching behind him to turn the water on. Both of them took an involuntary deep breath as the cold water hit them both but soon the water warmed up as did the atmosphere between Lee and Kara. It was only a couple of minutes until Lee was pushing into Kara and they begun the familiar dance known to all lovers. Both were feeling the intensity of the moment and Kara clung to him as she quickly fell over the edge; her legs were wrapped around his waist and her arms round his neck. His hips thrust against her one last time and he groaned loudly as he also reached that point. Her hand ran through his hair as he pressed her against the tile wall behind her. "Gods, Lee. That was really good. Even better than last night."

Lee kissed her neck gently; sucking on the skin of her neck. The water was cold now and he reached to turn the water off. "I thought so too." He lifted his head off her shoulder and kissed the side of her face before moving his mouth back to hers. "Frak!" he said softly after a short kiss.

"What?"

"We didn't use any protection."

"Don't worry about it."

"Kara, you could get pregnant."

"Lee, stop freaking out."

"Why aren't you freaking out?" He really couldn't understand how she was so calm.

"I'm on the contraceptive injection."

"But…"

"Calm down, Lee…" she kissed him again, feeling tension in his mouth and his body as she did so. "Talk to me." He was silent; a small amount of strain still on his face. "What was that all about?"

"My last girlfriend told me she was pregnant not that long ago."

"Did you react the way you just did when she told you?"

He looked away from her face; unable to meet her eyes. "Pretty much."

"What did she say? What did she do?"

"She ran away. I just let her go. I treated her really badly. I didn't hear from her again. I bumped into her brother a few months ago and asked how she was. He told me she was married to another guy and was expecting a baby."

She swallowed as she realized what he was telling her. "Do you think it's yours?"

"No. It was almost six months since I'd last seen her; never mind slept with her. She would've had the baby by that time. She lied to me I guess. Or she had an abortion."

"I don't have any plans on getting pregnant, Lee. Children aren't on my list of things to do. Flying, frakking and spending more time with you are the only things I'm interested in at the moment."

"You've never thought about having children?"

"Believe me, with my mother as a role model, me being a mother is something that should never happen." She paused before continuing. "How come you freaked out about it so much? Don't you want children either?"

"I don't at the moment. Not for several years anyway. I didn't have the best childhood and I suppose I don't want to inflict the same thing on a child of mine. I guess after Gianne; I find it difficult to trust people." He felt her pull away from him a little. "Please don't take it personally it's not you, it's me. That sound's really cliché but most girls only show an interest in me when they find out who my father is."

"You do know that's not the reason why we're doing this, don't you? I like you for being you. No other reason."

"Yes. I told you; this is my problem, not yours." He kissed her again. "I'm sorry; I didn't want to spoil things like this. I don't mean to make this so serious."

"You haven't done either of those things." She was shivering now; the cold tiles on her back and the cool air in the room finally getting to her. "Can we take this somewhere else? I'm getting cold."

"Absolutely. I think I may have an idea how we can warm up." A smile appeared back on his face.

"I'm sure you do." She smiled at him; knowing just what he was thinking.

****

Several hours later and after a concerted effort from both of them to keep warm, Lee and Kara were lying in each other's arms in her bed. "When have you got to get back to the Atlantia?" she asked softly, dreading hearing his answer.

"The day after tomorrow but I need to go see my mother tomorrow before I head back. I should spend some time with Zak as well."

She rolled onto her back; away from him and stared at the ceiling. The reality of the situation suddenly hit her. In a few hours time, this would be over. She knew it. Lee rolled onto his side and stared at her as she lay in silence. His hand came up and he traced two fingers down the curve of her cheek. She looked at him briefly before looking back at the ceiling. "I… This… I… frak." She shut her eyes; pain washing over her face.

Lee leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Is this going somewhere, Kara?"

"I want to see you again, Lee." She noticed the slight sound of desperation in her voice.

"I'll have a pass from the ship again in a couple of months and I'll call you as much as I can between now and then."

She stared at him; trying to see from his face if he wanted this as much as she did. She couldn't tell so she had to ask. "Is that what you want?"

"Of course I do." His answer was immediate. He didn't have to think about it for a second. "I know there's something between us, Kara. I knew it as soon as I sat at the table last night. The more time I spend with you, the more I know it's true."

"I feel the same way, Lee. This doesn't normally happen to me; but I don't want this to end. I wish you could stay here. I…" Her words ended as his lips found hers again; a kiss beginning that deepened quickly. "I forgot earlier. I've arranged for us to do something this evening. Will you be able to stay for it?"

"I don't need to leave until later tonight; Zak hasn't got any classes in the morning so I can spend some time with him then. What did you have in mind?"

"I spoke to my boss just before I came home and he's approved for us to take up a couple of Vipers for two hours."

"Really?"

His eyes were sparkling as she looked at him and she could feel the excitement for the evening ahread already building. "Yeah. I really want to fly with you. See how good a pilot you really are. I asked him if he remembered you from when you were at the Academy."

"What did he say?"

"That you were one of the best pilot's they'd seen at that time." She smirked at him and then spoke again. "He showed me your SIM scores and they were good…" she paused for a second and then a wide grin split her face, "Of course, mine were better. I'm a natural apparently."

Lee rolled over to lie onto her side again and he kissed her deeply. His hands drifted down to her waist and he tickled her mercilessly as a penalty for teasing him. "You're going to have to prove it, Kara."

"I will Lee, don't you worry." Her lips met his again in a brief kiss. "So Starbuck and Apollo – it has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"What's wrong with Apollo and Starbuck?"

"Nothing at all, Lee but Starbuck and Apollo sound's better. And I'm the better pilot so it's only right I should be first." The grin on her face told him she was still teasing him.

"Like I said Kara, you're going to have to prove to me that you're better." He kissed her softly on her nose.

****

Kara did prove to Lee just how good she was a few hours later. Lee was magnanimous enough to admit she'd been completely right. He could see why she'd been taken on to train the cadets at the Academy. She would be an amazing teacher and the nuggets she was training were extremely lucky. Some of the things they tried while in the air were beyond anything he'd done before. But somehow she'd made it easy for him to do what she suggested. They both been quite exhilarated once they landed again and since they'd emerged from the changing rooms back in their normal clothing the atmosphere between them had edged into slightly tense. "The flight suit is a good look for you, Kara but I still prefer you the way you were earlier." She didn't respond to what he'd said at all and Lee took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Are you okay?" She nodded and bit her lip; her eyes avoiding his. They walked out of the hanger and back towards her jeep. "I guess I should be getting back to Zak's."

Another nod. "Do you want me to drop you off there?" She climbed into the driver's seat and fiddled with the key in the ignition.

Lee watched her as she then fought with the seat belt; trying to secure it in place. His hand reached for hers again as it continued to fight with the metal and plastic. "Hey." She stilled as soon as his hand was on hers. His other hand lifted her chin and he swallowed as he saw tears welling in her eyes. He kissed her quickly; trying to push into submission the emotions she was struggling to hide. Her hand clutched his upper arm as he pushed her back against her seat. They had to part too soon and they were both short of breath. "Please don't get upset, Kara. I can't leave you like this."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. Believe me, if I could I stay with you I would but I can't. I have to go back to my ship and my mum would kill me if I don't go and see her."

"I know. I'm being selfish. I just… I really like you Lee. I've never done a long distance relationship before and I'm scared it won't work."

"I like you too, Kara." He looked past her, over her shoulder and sighed softly. He closed his eyes as he spoke again. "Actually that's a load of bull. I don't like you… I'm fairly sure I love you. I know it's probably too soon to say that but it's the way I feel."

"You love me?" Her eyes met his voluntarily for the first time since they'd walked back outside and she stared at him as he nodded at her. Her eyes held his as she took in his words. When she finally spoke her voice was quiet. "I think I love you too. I know I've never felt this way about anyone before and that's a little bit scary as well." She leant forward and kissed him softly; her tongue brushing against his once more.

"I ought to go before we get carried away. I can't believe I've got any energy left. Now you've worn me out and I don't regret a second of it."

"Baby…" she teased him gently. She drove the jeep towards the student accommodation; the silence still there but not as tense now. Lee's hand was on her knee and she liked the feel of it there. Lee was staring at her profile as she drove; trying to memorize every detail he could before he was forced to leave her. She parked some distance from the entrance and stared out of the windscreen. Her hand covered his and she laced her fingers through his. "I'll call you in a couple of days."

"I'll call you tomorrow, from my mum's. And when I get back to Atlantia I'll call and let you know my shift pattern. We can make this work, Kara. It won't be easy I'm sure but it'll just make the times we're together more special."

Kara moved with a speed neither of them realized she possessed so she was straddling his lap; her need to kiss him properly one last time before he got out of the jeep forcing her to act. He groaned into her mouth as she writhed against him; knowing just what she was asking of him. Instantly he was beginning to get aroused. All he wanted to do now was frak her; touch her one last time before their enforced separation. Kara seemed to be of the same opinion because her hand was reaching down and she was working on undoing his pants and freeing his growing erection from his boxers. He already knew this was going to be quick; it'd have to be or they were risking getting caught. They both undid her pants and somehow managed to work them down her legs; discarding them on her seat. His hands moved to her underwear but she swatted his hand away; in her eagerness for him to be in her, she moved them to one side so he could push into her with one hard thrust. Both of them sighed at the relief they both felt. Lee could feel the adrenalin from the Viper flight still ebbing through his body and he knew this would help him with that; that wasn't the reason he was so desperate for this to happen though. This would be something he was going to miss intensely over the next couple of months. He'd still be able to talk to her and they could write letters to each other but it would be a long time before he'd be able to touch her like this again.

Kara moved on his cock determinedly; trying to set a steady pace but at the same time eager for it not to be too quick. He was moving with her and as she leaned back slightly he brushed against that sensitive spot within her. Her body began to shake as he pushed in and out of her; moving across it over and over. Kara moved faster and she kissed Lee again as he brushed his hand across her breast. "Make me come, Lee. I want to be able to remember this until I see you again. Make me see stars when I come." She whispered.

Lee groaned and his movements stuttered slightly as his head span with what she'd just said. His hand moved from her breast to her clit and his thumb touching the area reverently; circular motions around the nub but edging closer with each rotation until it pressed hard on the same nub. He felt her orgasm before she made any noise; her body clamping on his cock in a vice-like grip. Her hand clutched at his shoulders and she gasped; her head rolling back so she was looking up at the sky. He was still moving in and out of her; with a lot more resistance as she continued to tighten on him. He could feel his body begin to struggle with the need for release but he was determined to make Kara come again before he got there. His thumb was still on her clit and he resumed stroking her; his digit more gentle – almost teasing her.

This time when she came she was a lot louder and she cried out his name into the night sky. It was enough to pull Lee over the edge with her and he moaned her name softly against her neck. He came long and hard inside her and she continued moving on him; her hand joining his on her clit; pressing harder now so they could tease her orgasm out longer. Eventually they'd both calmed down again and Kara collapsed against him. He wrapped his arms around her; not wanting to let her go quite yet. She was quiet now as she sat astride him; his cock still buried deep within her. "I love you, Kara." he whispered. She didn't say anything and he began to worry about her. "Are you okay?" Lee kissed the side of her head and she sighed softly. "Kara?"

She lifted her head and looked at him; her face showing the confusion Lee was feeling. She smiled at him, "I blacked out." He stared at her; wondering if she was joking with him. "You frakked me to oblivion Lee and I passed out. That's never happened to me before and I kind of liked it."

He smiled at her and then leant forward to kiss her. "I love you." He repeated, realizing she wouldn't have heard it when he'd said it just a minute earlier.

"I love you too." She replied. He pulled her back into another hug; his arms tightly wrapped around her body; their mouths meeting again in a gentle kiss. "You'd better get inside."

"I already am." He smiled.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." She restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

"I know. I just don't want to leave. I want to be here with you."

"I want you here too, Lee. Right where you are now but you'll just get into trouble if you don't go now." She looked down; unable to stare into the blue before her. She pulled herself from his lap; never having regretted doing something quite as much as she did now. "Go, Lee. Please, before I change my mind and don't let you leave me." She curled her legs up onto the seat and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Lee looked at her and knew she was right. He did need to go. He repositioned himself back in his boxers and did his pants back up. He could feel her staring at him and knew he'd see the devastation he was feeling in her eyes if he dared to look. Something he couldn't seem to force himself to do. He got out of the jeep and took two steps away from it before he changed his mind. It took him barely a second to get back to Kara; leaning into the jeep to where she sat. His mouth met hers in a tender kiss that held a promise to return to her as soon as he could. Her hands came up to his face and cupped his cheeks as the kiss lengthened.

He started to back away from her but her mouth followed his and he let her. Neither of them wanted this to end; not after it had only just started. It had to though and Kara pushed his chest gently to make him step back away from the jeep. She started the engine the second he was standing properly on the tarmac and he watched as she drove away. She didn't look back and he hadn't expected her to; in fact he knew she wouldn't. Part of him was relieved she hadn't because he knew one look from her now would be enough to make him change his life totally.

TBC

A/N: Please revoew... I love feedback.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay; this story has begun to take on a life all of it's own. When I originally wrote it, this was the last chapter - as it stands here. However I was never really happy with the way I ended it. It turns out that decorating is great for my muse as I finally had a better way of ending this story (in my opinion anyway) so as a result this story has now spawned an additional two chapters (at least). Bless! I haven't quite finished it yet but it's almost there... oh and it turns out, I just can't do sweet and fluffy on it's own... Sorry!

**Brief Encounter.**

Chapter 4.

Kara drove down the road away from the campus and tried to ignore the tears welling in her eyes. She was desperate to look in her rear view mirror and see him watching her drive away but she knew if she did she'd never leave him. The last day had been overwhelming for Kara. She had never before been in a relationship that had developed this quickly. It was intense but at the same time Kara knew it was right. She'd fallen and she'd fallen hard. It was most unlike her. She had no idea whether she was grateful to Zak or not. Part of her was but part of her was furious with him for the presumption by him that she would get on with Lee. Maybe it was fact he was right that made her angry the most. That and the fact she felt a little out of control of the situation; that it had been forced on her. The truth was if she'd met Lee in a bar or somewhere she knew something probably would've happened between them on its own; it wouldn't need any pushing from Zak. She shook her head as she continued to drive and stopped thinking about what Zak had done. Of course that meant her thoughts naturally drifted back to Lee. It had only been a few minutes and it already felt like she hadn't seen him for ages. More than anything she wished they were back in her flat and he was holding her in his arms as they slept.

When she'd woken up this morning she'd realized how much she'd been missing. She'd never thought she was a person who liked being held; certainly she never had in the past but this morning threw all that out the window. She remembered one of her exes had been a touchy-feely person and would always try to cuddle her after they'd had sex and through the night. All he ended up doing was making her feel restricted and claustrophobic. With Lee it was different; the feel of his arms around her waist when she woke up hadn't made her feel trapped and she'd liked it. In fact she more than liked it. His arms pulling her into his body; pressing her up against him in a way that made her regret having to get up and leave him. And now she'd left him for a second time; all in one day and each time she'd felt awful. This time was definitely the worst time though because it was more long term. This time she'd had to see his face just before she left him and it broke her heart. Gods, she was officially pathetic. And she had no idea when she was going to see him again. Her life was about to become all about waiting and hoping.

By the time she got home the tears were running down her face and she parked her car much closer to her flat than she usually would. She pulled her pants back on; she hadn't put them on since leaving Lee and she took the time to try and compose herself a little. It didn't work; it just gave her time to remember why she'd removed them in the first place.

****

Lee stood for a good five minutes after she'd left; watching the road she'd just driven down and wondering if he'd just made a huge mistake. It wasn't what had happened with Kara that he regretted but more the fact he had to leave her and go back to his ship. He wished he could see her more frequently because he knew it would be amazing if they could. And probably a lot easier than it was going to be for the next couple of months.

Eventually he walked over to the cadet's quarters and up to Zak's room. Zak opened the door for him and smirked as Lee walked into the room. "Long time, no see, Lee. I thought I was going to have to send out Search and Rescue."

"Don't start, Zak." Lee wasn't in the mood for his brother to tease him about Kara.

"Do you want a beer?" Lee nodded and Zak retrieved a bottle from the small refrigerator in the corner of the room. Lee removed the top and took a long drink from it. He could feel Zak watching him and he wondered how long it would be before Zak asked the obvious questions. He hoped it would be a long time. He was wrong. "So I take it things between you and Kara worked out?"

"I can't believe you set her up like that, Zak."

"Like what? It worked didn't it. You have to admit the two of you got on. Or you wouldn't have disappeared for more than a day. And come back here looking like you've been frakking the whole time you've been gone."

"You didn't need to try your hand at matchmaking, Zak. It wasn't necessary."

"How else were you going to get together with her?"

"I'm not completely incapable to asking a girl out, you know."

"Look Lee, I didn't mean anything by it. I just knew the two of you were well suited; that there would be chemistry between you. I was right, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, you were." He took another sip of his drink. "You just went the wrong way about it."

"Anyway you go back to your ship the day after tomorrow, don't you? So it's not a problem anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you can go back to your normal life. You had a good time while you were down on Caprica and now it's over and you can go back to the ship feeling more relaxed."

Lee stared at his brother and once again was confounded at the differences between the two of them. How could two brothers who'd been raised together have such different morals to one another? Quite obviously Zak assumed last night with Kara was a one-time thing. "It might be best if you don't say any more, Zak. And don't mention this conversation to Kara…"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, this wasn't a one-night stand, Zak. It was more than that. I like her; I like her a lot." There was no way he was going to admit to his brother that he probably loved Kara. "I'm going to keep in touch with her when I get back to Atlantia. I'm going to see her again." He finished his beer. "I'm gonna call it a night. I'll see you in the morning. We can spend some time together before I head over to see Mum." Zak watched him leave and wondered just what it was he'd started by setting his brother up with his flight instructor.

****

It was probably a good thing for Kara that she didn't see Zak the next day. He was probably the last person she wanted to see. She still wasn't sure how she was going to react to him after what he'd done. It had been bad enough the morning after her date with Lee but by now he would probably know more about what had happened between them and she wasn't sure she could deal with his teasing. Another reason for her not wanting to see him was because he would just remind her of Lee. She didn't need any additional reminders. Lee was already constantly on her mind. He was the first thing she'd thought of when she woke up this morning. The sheets of her bed smelled of him and she knew it would be a while before she changed them. She needed the comfort of feeling like he was around her. He was the final thing she thought of last night and the hours between were just as filled with him too.

It had been a long day. And she wasn't really in the mood to do anything other than go back to her apartment and wallow in self-pity. She'd been snappy with her colleagues today and had tried to restore her balance by taking a Viper up for an hour but that again was just another reminder of the night before with Lee. She stopped at a shop and picked up some groceries. She needed a drink and some chocolate. She made her way to her apartment and walked into the building.

It wasn't long before she was sitting on the couch and watching mindless TV while tucking into the bar of chocolate that she'd brought and a glass of Ambrosia. She wasn't really watching the TV but was thinking of her new favorite subject. Lee. She glanced at her phone; remembering that he said he'd call her. He hadn't yet and she was longing to hear his voice. Although she wasn't sure that was going to make her feel any better.

She pushed away the chocolate and decided she needed to eat something a little more substantial. She dug out a menu from a nearby cupboard and then phoned through her order. Forty minutes until it turned up. She switched off the TV and decided to go for a relaxing bath. Bubbles and steam filled the tub just a few minutes later and as she sank into the water she closed her eyes in bliss. She lay there and felt her muscles relax in the hot water. She didn't lay there too long as she knew her food would soon be turning up. She wrapped a towel around her body and then strolled back to her bedroom. She threw on some comfortable clothes and then went back to the couch. The food arrived and she retrieved it, paying the deliveryman. She was soon in her small kitchen; dishing some of the mountain of food she'd ordered onto a plate.

There was a soft knock on the front door and Kara walked to it quickly; not really thinking who it could be. She opened the door and gasped as she saw who it was standing there. "Are you going to ask me in?" Lee said, softly.

Kara stepped back and he walked past her into the hallway. "What are you doing here?"

"I can go if you want me to…" his face looked worriedly at her.

"NO!" She took a deep breath. "No. Don't go. I just wasn't expecting you." She suddenly felt self conscious as she stood before him. "I look a mess."

"You look stunning."

She blushed and then remembered her food. "Do you want something to eat? I'd just got some food delivered and there's far too much for just me."

"Sure." He followed her into the kitchen, watching as she put some food onto another plate and then carried them both across the room; passing one to him before going over to the couch. He took a seat beside her and leaned over; kissing her softly on the cheek. "Thanks."

They ate the food in comfortable silence. After a couple of minutes Kara broke the silence. "I wasn't expecting to see you tonight. I thought you would've gone back to see Zak or still be at your mother's."

"I wanted to see you. More than I wanted to see Zak. He managed to frak me off yesterday so it didn't take too much deciding who I wanted to see more."

She smiled at him. "What did he do to frak you off?"

Lee looked down at his plate and took another mouthful of food as he wondered how to respond to her question. Finally he spoke, "He assumed you and I was a one-time thing. He can't understand why I'd want to carry on seeing you. He thinks I'm mad."

"I think it's him that's mad, after all he turned down the prospect of a date with me." He smiled at her and she felt the urge to kiss him. An urge she followed after putting down her plate. His arm wrapped around her back and they leisurely kissed each other; taking the opportunity to re-familiarize themselves with each other. She was leaning against him as they watched the TV; his arm wrapped around shoulder; his fingers brushing the skin on the top of her arm. After about an hour Lee had got bored of the program and began to kiss her neck; intent on leaving a mark at that spot. She sighed and her hand moved to his knee and she squeezed his leg. She moved her legs up onto the couch and his hands pulled on her ankles so she swiveled and they rested on top of his legs. His hands gradually moved up her legs and Kara was struggling to stay still. It wasn't too long before they were lying on the couch when they pulled apart with Kara was draped over him. She rested her head on his chest; wrapping her arms around him. Lee's arms were tight around her as well and one of his hands was brushing her back. "How was your mother?" she asked him softly.

"I think I managed to bore her silly."

"How?"

"She said I looked different when I arrived; I looked more relaxed and happier somehow."

"And?"

"I told her about you. I think I must've spent a lot of today talking about you. I'm sure she was bored by me."

"I'd imagine she was just glad to see you happy." She lifted her head and looked at his face. "You are happy, aren't you?"

"I am. I've never been happier."

"Good. I am too. Well, I suppose I wasn't today. I was really missing you and I guess I wasn't in the best of moods. It's probably just as well I didn't see your brother today."

"I couldn't believe what he was saying last night. He seriously thought I was just going to frak you and never see you again. He seems to think that's the way you should treat a girl."

"That's not how you behave then?"

"Never. One night stands aren't my kind of thing. Having said that I had no idea I was going to feel this way when I left the restaurant with you. This is so much more than I thought it would be."

"Zak said yesterday that you didn't normally rush into making decisions; especially one's that involve you sleeping with someone. He did seem quite surprised when he guessed we'd slept together. He said it wasn't how you normally behaved."

"I have a feeling my brother doesn't really know me that well."

"Maybe he doesn't. He's not the only one that needs to get to know you better."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm mmm. I want to know what makes you tick. What you like. What you don't like. I want to know everything about you."

"I want to know you just as much."

"I've told you already, there's not much to tell you."

"I don't believe that, Kara. Why are you so reluctant to tell me about yourself?" She was quiet for some time. "Please talk to me."

"My life wasn't so great when I was growing up, Lee. My father abandoned me when I was a child and my mother was a bad person to be left in charge of a six-year old."

"It must've been tough." He kissed the top of her head. "You don't have to hide things from me, Kara. It won't change the way I feel about you."

"You haven't heard it yet. Maybe you shouldn't make any promises until I tell you."

His fingers lifted her chin so her eyes met his. He could see emotions on her face and her eyes were pools of tears. "There's nothing you could tell me that would do anything to make me feel any less for you."

She stared into his eyes; she wanted to believe him; she wanted to trust him but she felt the tiniest spark of fear that once he knew the truth he would leave her. She closed her eyes; trying to compose herself and she felt Lee brush away a tear from her cheek as it felt from her eye. She felt his lips on her forehead and sighed softly as the touch of his lips removed the worry that had built. She looked at him and licked her lips; trying to reintroduce some moisture to them. "My mother is a drunk and used to abuse me when I was a child. She's always told me I was a mistake; one she wished she'd never made and that I would never amount to anything. The last time I saw her was the day I got made a lieutenant and assigned to a battlestar. She told me I was going to be a disgrace to the Fleet and everyone would soon know the truth."

"You don't believe that, do you?" She shrugged her shoulders; her eyes not quite meeting his. "Never believe what she said. Kara, if the Fleet thought you were a disgrace you'd never have been offered a position at the Academy. They don't ask just anyone to be a lecturer to cadets. They must really respect you or you wouldn't be where you are now."

"I know you're right but sometimes it's difficult to believe. Sometimes I let what she said get to me."

Lee leant forward and kissed her on the lips gently; hoping to prove to her that she was wrong. His hand brushed down her back and cupped her ass; pulling her up so she was closer to him. His other hand went into her hair and she felt him pull the tie from her ponytail so her hair fell around her face. Their kiss deepened; tongues meeting in a passionate duel. Kara was now lying almost completely on top of him. "Let's take this to your room…" he whispered.

She smiled against his mouth and nodded. She sat up and rose off the couch; holding her hand out towards him. Lee looked up at her and took her hand in his. He walked behind her as she led him to her bedroom. She flicked on a lamp near her bed and the faint glow from it emanated around the room. They stood in front of each other and then moved at the same time; slowing removing the other's clothing; their movements only broken by shared kisses and caresses. They climbed into the bed and Lee pulled her into his arms; not realizing how much she'd been wanting this moment since she'd seen him last. His hand took hers in its grip; his fingers laced with hers and he held them in front of them.

No words were needed as they began to make love; Lee pushing into her slowly as his hands still held hers tight. The pace was slow and tender; neither of them in a rush but eager to ensure they made this special. His body was top of hers and Kara could feel the strength in his actions even though he was being so gentle with her. Again Kara was already close to coming but she hoped to make it last longer. Lee looked into her eyes and seemed to realize how close she was and he slowed down his movements even more. "I love you, Lee." She whispered; each word punctuated with a kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. I've never felt like this before; not about anyone. I never realized I even needed someone."

"Me neither. I thought I was happy; that my life was sorted out but now I know how much I was missing." She paused as she took a deep breath. "I was so miserable today but now that you're here I haven't got anything to be sad about." He kissed her again. "Not until tomorrow anyway; not until you leave."

"I'm sorry, Kara."

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. I hate the fact I've got to leave you tomorrow. I don't want to; I'd much rather stay here with you, believe me." He'd stopped moving in her now; needing to reassure her. "I wish I could do this every night; be here with you like this; make love to you so you fly all the time." She smiled at him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I want to remember this every time I lie in this bed. I want to be able to imagine you here with me; making love to me all night long."

"All night?" he smiled at her.

"Of course."

"I'd better make sure you remember it accurately then."

A thrill went through her at his words and she smiled at him as he renewed his movements. His hips thrust against her sharply and she gasped softly. Just seconds later she came; a soft pulse meandering through her. Her hand clutched his; her nails digging into the back of his hand. Her high faded and still he moved within her; his movements becoming slightly more frantic as he edged nearer. When he thrust into her he heard the soft intake of breath she took; felt the gentle exhale against his shoulder as he pulled back out of her. "Lee…" she gasped. He looked at her and she kissed him; her tongue pushing into his mouth. "I believe you. I believe what you said earlier. About what my mother said."

His kiss was deeper and he held her face as his tongue explored her mouth. "Always remember that I believe in you. There's nothing you can't do, Kara."

"With the right motivation."

"No. Always."

For a long time they both climbed to their peaks; taking their time to enjoy the closeness and share the experience. Lee fell first but Kara was close behind him. Neither of them stopped moving although they slowed slightly back to their original pace. They continued this routine over and over; neither of them feeling as tired as they should be.

****

Lee held Kara in his arms; her back was to his chest and he was spooned behind her. It was the early hours of the morning now and he smiled as he remembered his promise to make love to her all night. He'd lived up to his promise and she'd not long fallen asleep. Lee was beyond tired and yet he couldn't sleep. This moment was what he wanted to remember; holding her in his arms; a breast in one hand and his other holding one of hers.

He wasn't looking forward to the morning and he knew both of them would hate the moment he had to leave. If he was brave he'd leave now; spare them both the pain of saying goodbye but he couldn't do that to her either. He wanted to at least be able to say goodbye to her; even if it was the most painful thing either of them had to do.

****

Kara woke and felt Lee pressed up against her back. His arms were holding her and she smiled into her pillow as she shuffled back slightly; trying to get closer to him. This was what she wanted to remember when he left. That thought made her smile disappear as she realized it would be a couple of hours before he left and this time he wouldn't be turning up at her door. Not for a long time anyway.

His mouth moved to her neck and kissed it softly. She turned in his arms to face him and her mouth met his in a heated kiss. Quickly he entered her and rolled them so he was lying on top of her. This time he was more frenetic with his thrusts into her; he wanted her to enjoy this because it'd be a while before they'd do this again.

He pulled her legs up towards her chest and the angle he had in her changed; his cock brushing against her in such a way that left her gasping. She began to move beneath him and smiled down at her. "Stop," he whispered. She froze beneath him and he saw the fear in her eyes when he pulled out of her. "Turn over." He said; his hand brushing her cheek.

Kara paused for only a second before doing as he asked. He gripped her hips and pushed back into her in one smooth thrust. Her head fell forward as she felt him fill her; his cock pushing deeper than it had done before. He groaned softly as he felt her tighten on him. His groin pressed against her ass and he reached his hand round to touch her clit; his fingers brushing across it until she tightened on him further.

All too soon it was over; they both collapsed to the bed; a tangle of arms, legs and sweaty bodies. Lee kissed her shoulder blades as he rested against her. Kara chuckled and turned over so she could kiss him. Her mouth was soft against his and her tongue brushed against his. "What time does the shuttle back to Atlantia leave?"

"At noon. We have a little while yet. Do you need to get to the Academy?" She shook her head and silently stared into his eyes as she lay facing him. Lee reached for his dogtags and pulled them over his head. Kara watched him as he undid the chain and took one of the tags off it. He held his hand out to her, offering her it. "I want you to have this; wear it round your neck so I'll always be close to your heart." Her hand gripped the small disc tightly in its grip.

She reached for her own chain and pulled it over her head. She undid it and slipped his tag next to hers. She looked up at him and then pulled one of her tags off and held it out towards him. "I want you to have this to remind you to come back to me and to remind you what's waiting for you on Caprica."

Both of them pulled their chains back in place and Kara fingered the tags as they lay side by side around her neck. "Can you do me a favor while I'm away, Kara?" She looked up at him and nodded her head. "Can you keep an eye on Zak for me and make sure he's okay."

"Of course I can. I'll even promise not to make his life too miserable." Lee laughed and Kara soon joined him.

"You won't pass him if he isn't good enough, will you?" he asked quietly.

"Absolutely not."

"Okay." He kissed her softly. "I'd better get up and start getting ready to leave. I've got to go back to Zak's before I catch the shuttle." Lee moved away from her and got out of the bed. Kara began to move with him but he soon pushed her back to the mattress. "Stay. You don't need to get up."

"I want to."

"It's early; Kara and we had a late night. Get some rest."

She stared at him. "Okay." She finally agreed. Her eyes drifted shut but quickly opened. "You won't leave without saying goodbye, will you?"

"I'll come and say goodbye, don't worry."

She fully intended to go to sleep like he'd suggested but she just couldn't do it. She lay on the bed; her head on the pillow that smelled of Lee and watched him as he disappeared into the bathroom. Her eyes were beginning to drift shut when he walked back into her room; a small towel wrapped around his waist. Her eyes widened as they roamed down his body; opening further when he dropped the towel to the floor and stood in the middle of the room. She appreciated the sight when he bent down and picked up various bits of his clothes. Unfortunately he'd soon pulled his clothing on and removed his beauty from her view. He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. His hand came up to caress her face, "I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go either."

"Can't we just stay here and pretend it's just us?"

"You know we can't. I'd get in trouble and we don't want that."

"I know." His thumb brushed across her lips and she licked it with her tongue and then pulled the tip into his mouth. He bent forward and replaced his thumb with his mouth. His hand moved to her face as the kiss deepened. He felt tears fall down her cheeks and he felt awful. "Please don't cry. I'll never be able to leave if you do."

"You said that the other night…"

"I meant it."

"I'm sorry."

"This is just as difficult for me."

"I know."

"I'll call you. As much as I can. I'll call you so much you'll be sick of me."

"That could never happen." Their lips met in a passionate but brief kiss. He stood as he pulled his mouth from hers and backed across the room; staring into her eyes. She sat up and got to her feet; pulling the sheet from the bed and wrapping it around her body. They both walked to her front door and Lee opened it.

She looked over his shoulder and saw Zak sitting in his car down the street. "He's taking me to the shuttle. I called him when I was in the bathroom." His hands reached for hers and he tugged on them and pulled her against him. He kissed again; neither of them losing the novelty of their passion. "I'm going to go now. Take care, Kara." He took a couple of steps from her and looked at her over his shoulder.

She could feel her throat tightening and knew it wouldn't be long before she was crying. She hoped she could hold it off long enough for him to leave. She didn't want the last thing he saw before he left was her crying her eyes out. "I love you, Lee." She whispered; her voice quivering slightly as she said his name. He paused and then strode back to her and kissed her; backing her against the wall behind her; his hands cradling her face. This time when he walked away; he backed away from her; maintaining eye contact with her all the time. He smiled at her and then winked; making her laugh softly and momentarily forget her tears.

"Love you too." He said; as much emotion in his voice as there had been in hers. "Don't forget me."

"I won't be able to." Her hand reached for the tags hanging between her breasts. "You're right next to my heart."

"And mine. I'll come back to you soon."

"You'd better."

****

It had been a long few weeks. Kara had missed Lee a lot but she'd spoken to him as much as she could and he called her and wrote to her all the time. They'd really got to know each other during this time and were closer now than they'd ever been. For a long time she'd been wishing she could see him; to hold him in her arms; to make love to him all night long. She sat on her couch and stared at her hands; knowing she was shortly going to be getting that wish but now wishing more than anything that she wasn't. Today was going to be a difficult day; she only hoped the two of them would be able to get through it intact.

She heard a car pull up outside and knew it was him. She never thought she'd dread seeing him so much. She walked to the door and opened it. He was getting out of a cab and had his back to her but she could see the tension in his shoulders. She bit her lip as she watched him struggle to get his bag off the backseat. He slammed the door shut and the driver drove off. Lee turned to face her; picking up his bag and then walked towards her. She stared at him and saw the strain in his face. She stepped back and he walked into her apartment; neither of them saying anything.

She stood against the door after shutting it and watched him in the center of the hallway. He was just standing there and she felt the stress emanating from him. She took a few steps forward and pulled the bag from his hand; putting it on the floor behind her. She stood behind him and her hand ran up her back. He stiffened slightly as her hand climbed up his body. She tried not to take it personally; she knew it wasn't her; this was nothing to do with her. Her hands slipped round his waist and she kissed the back of his neck; her body pressed up against his. A gasp escaped from him and she breathed a sigh of relief as she realized he was finally reacting to it all. Over the next couple of minutes she held him as he gradually began to fall apart before her. She held him in her arms; having turned his body to face her. His arms came round her and held her tight in his grasp; his strength initially overwhelming her. She wanted to help him and she had no idea what she was doing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He shook his head against her shoulder. "I'm here for you, Lee."

He pulled away from her and stared at her; a heat in his eyes that scared her. "I asked you to look after him. You told me you wouldn't pass him. You lied to me; you must've done or he wouldn't be dead now."

She felt like she'd been punched in the gut and she stared at him. "In different circumstances I'd probably have hit you by now but I know it's just the grief talking." She could feel the lump building in her throat and part of her hated that he could have this effect on her. "When you want to talk to me about it, I'll be here but you need to be ready to listen to what I'm going to say." She stepped forward and cupped his face with her hand. "I love you, Lee and I'd never do anything to hurt you. Let me help you, please."

He didn't say anything; just stared at her; anguish written all over his face. She backed away from him; hoping he wouldn't notice how much he'd hurt her with his words. "Please stay." He whispered; his voice harsh in the silence. As soon as he spoke she stopped moving away from him; but she didn't move to him either. His fists were clenching and she was sure he was desperate to punch something. She hoped it wasn't her he chose.

She watched as he turned away from her and slammed his fists against the wall behind him. His shoulders were shaking and she longed to reach out and comfort him but knew he still had some anger to work out. She was right because it wasn't long before he was hitting the wall repeatedly with his right fist; finally he lost the fight and slumped against the wall; his head resting against the surface. She saw him break completely before her and knew it was time for her to go back to him.

Her hand brushed through his hair as she stepped closer to him; his whole body was shaking now. She dropped to her knees beside him and wrapped her arms around him; pulling him against her body and brushing her hands up and down his back; feeling him try and bury himself into her. "I'm so sorry, Lee." She whispered to him.

For a long time they sat in silence; Kara let him cry himself out; adding some of her own tears to the mix. Finally he spoke. "Can you tell me what happened?" he said softly.

"I'm not that sure, Lee." She brushed her lips against his face in a gentle kiss. "I don't understand what he was doing there." She swallowed the lump of guilt that was increasing in size. "I failed him, Lee. He didn't pass his flight test. He shouldn't have been in that Viper. I don't know why he was there."

"My dad." Lee growled.

"What?"

"Someone at the Academy must've told him Zak failed; he probably pulled a few strings."

"Even if he'd passed there's no way he should have been up in that Viper. The results only got posted yesterday afternoon."

"Zak was probably so pleased he'd passed he tried to get a flight as soon as he could."

"I'm so sorry, Lee. I feel like it's my fault. I should've made sure the results that were posted were correct."

"It's not your fault. This is my dad's fault; not yours."

"I wish things were different. I wish he was still alive."

"So do I." he whispered.

"He was too young to die, Lee. He had so much life in him." He pulled her into his arms and they offered each other the comfort they both needed.

TBC

A/N: Please review and let me know what you think. What do you think this means for Lee and Kara now? Can you guess? :-) I bet you can't. (Is that wicked?)


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to everyone for the reviews on this story so far. I hope they continue. Now onto the next chapter... this one is even more intense than the last one and it brings a lump to my throat each time I read it. Originally the first two paragraphs were at the end of chapter 4 and this was going to be how the story ended but as I've previously mentioned, I didn't like this ending (deciding it was missing something) so came up with something else (although I have to say the ending now has changed again) - this story just keeps evolving.

**Brief Encounter.**

Chapter 5.

The next morning Kara had to fight down the happiness she felt when she woke with Lee in her arms. She studied his face as he slept; still seeing the strain marring it. The night before had been strange, confusing, draining but more than anything it had been emotional. Kara was still unsure how the next few days were going to pan out but at least they seemed to be talking and Lee had got past the initial shock and anger. Kara remembered his words from the night before and knew the time when he saw his father would be a time where more fireworks would be set off. She vowed to be there for Lee through it all.

Kara had already made a decision about her future during the night; she was furious at the fact her decision to fail Zak had been overturned by someone else on the staff of the Academy. She doubted she'd be able to go back to training cadets if they could do that just because of who a student was. This tragedy with Zak was a reasonable excuse for her to get out of her contract with them. It was something she'd been contemplating for some time. She missed flying up in space; she got to on the odd occasion but she wanted to be able to do it much more frequently than that. She wanted to spend more time with Lee as well; knowing he was going to need her over the next few months. In her heart she was hoping she'd be able to get a posting to the Atlantia but she knew she needed to speak to Lee about that first; before she made such a decision. The most important thing to her she'd discovered from all this was that she had to do what she wanted with her life; she couldn't leave it to chance or she might frak things up. Recent events had more than shown her just how short life could be and she wasn't going to waste anymore of hers.

Kara felt Lee begin to awaken and she rolled onto her side to face him. His eyes opened and stared into hers; she saw the realization of what had happened wash over his face and she watched him closely. He gasped and shut his eyes and she could almost see him retreat from her. "Don't push me away, Lee." She whispered.

His eyes opened and he stared at her. "It really happened, didn't it?" he said quietly. She nodded at him; her hand brushing across his face. "I thought for a minute it was just a bad dream."

"I wish I could tell you it was."

He was silent for some time and Kara waited for him to do something. "I need to go and see my mother today; make sure she's okay."

"I can come with you if you want; unless you think it'd be better on your own."

"No, I'd like you to come with me."

She paused for a second. "Do you think your dad will be there?"

His face blanked slightly and she saw him again pulling away from her. "I hope not." He whispered harshly.

"It might not have been his fault, Lee. It might just have been someone at the Academy thinking they were doing the right thing. He might not even know that Zak actually failed."

"Don't let him fool you, Kara. My dad has a lot more pull in the Fleet than either of us can imagine. He has a lot of friends in high places."

"Exactly Lee. One of his friends could've done this without him even knowing about it. Just trying to ensure your dad doesn't get embarrassed."

"Why are you taking my dad's side?" His voice was harsh and Kara winced slightly.

"I'm not, Lee. I just don't want you to do something you may come to regret."

"Zak is dead, Kara. I don't think anything worse can happen."

"I know he's dead, Lee." She pulled away from him and got out of the bed; walking across the room and into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stood under the flow of water; hoping to push away the feelings flowing through her. Tears fled her eyes and mingled with the water from the showerhead; her body shaking as she struggled with the emotions of despair. Even though the water was hot her body was shivering and she couldn't seem to get warm. It wasn't just the hurtful words Lee had said to her and the way he'd said them. She was also hurting at the fact Zak had died; despite her bravado she'd grown to like him and not just because he was Lee's brother.

Lee's arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered. His lips brushed across her skin as he kissed her softly. As soon as he touched her Kara couldn't restrain her feelings anymore. She was now sobbing and she couldn't seem to stop. Lee turned her and pulled her towards him; wrapping his arms around her body. She let herself cry; feeling a little guilty that he was comforting her when it should be the other way round. After what seemed like a very long time she could cry no more. He still held her in his arms and she hadn't felt this safe before in her whole life. She hadn't felt this loved either. "Are you okay?" he said.

She laughed against his shoulder. "Isn't it me who should be asking you that?"

"I'm asking you." His hand brushed through her hair and across her skin.

"He's the first person I've taught that's died as a result of my training. There've been a couple of injuries but nothing really serious, until now. I feel like it's my fault. I should've been able to do something so that he got it. It's just a shock."

"It wasn't your fault, Kara. You failed him. You did what you were supposed to do. He should never have been at the Academy. He wasn't supposed to be a pilot."

Her stomach rolled as she heard him speak and she pulled herself from his arms quickly. She wasn't sure what she was feeling as she looked at him. Another wave of nausea passed over her and she knew she was going to be sick. She almost ran to the toilet and threw up in the bowl. She felt drained as another jolt flowed through her body. Tears flowed down her face as she continued to be sick over and over again. There wasn't anything in her stomach; neither of them had eaten anything the night before but still her body tried to expel what was there. Within minutes she was just dry heaving; each one sending a wave of pain through her body. Lee was sitting beside her now; he had been almost as soon as she'd run from him. His hand was on her back; soothing strokes across her lower back and sides.

Finally it was over but she rested her forehead against her arms; her body drained of any energy. She could feel the dampness on her face; her tears beginning to dry. Her body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat that had appeared as she'd thrown up. She wondered what Lee was thinking and then she realized just what he might be thinking. She turned her head so she could see his face and found him looking at her; concern on his face. "I'm not pregnant, Lee." She whispered. "It's just the shock of what's happened."

"I didn't think you were." He said softly. He pulled her away from the toilet; into his arms; his other hand reaching for the flush; removing the evidence of the last few minutes. He kissed the top of her head as she leaned against him. "Do you feel better now?"

"I don't really feel anything; apart from numb." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I should be supporting you through this; not the other way round. He was your brother. He was just my student."

"It doesn't matter, Kara. Why don't we just agree to support each other through this; no questions asked?" She nodded against his shoulder. "I need you now, Kara. I need you with me. I can't do this on my own."

"I'll be there for you. Always."

****

They spent the next couple of hours lying with each other; having moved from the bathroom to the couch in her living room. Both had pulled on comfortable clothes and were now lying wrapped around each other in silence. A silence Kara now broke. "I made a decision last night, Lee."

He opened his eyes and looked at her; studying her. "Should I be worried?"

She smiled at him slightly; hoping it would reassure him. "I hope not." Her foot had wormed its way beneath his pants and was brushing the skin of his leg. "I can't teach at the Academy anymore. There's no point me being there if they're going to ignore what I say."

"What are you going to do instead?"

"That's up to you…" He lifted an eyebrow at her; silently asking her what she meant. "I want to be on a battlestar. I want to fly; more than I get a chance to do now."

"What do I have to do with that? I don't think I can influence what happens with your career."

She swallowed; suddenly nervous about mentioning what she wanted do. What would it mean if he said he didn't want what she did? She took a deep breath. "What would you say if I said I wanted to be on the Atlantia?"

"With me?"

"If you want." They stared at each other. "I want to be with you, Lee. I don't want to be apart from you anymore. I don't want to be down here getting some time in a Viper in space for a couple of hours a week. I want more than that." She couldn't look at him anymore and she tried to pull away from him a little; his arms tightened around her, not letting her go. It wasn't just about the flying and they both knew it. It was a lot more than that. This was a key moment for them; Kara admitting how much she wanted to be with Lee; a level of commitment to each other being offered between them.

"Yes."

"Huh?" She looked at him, wide eyed.

"I want you to be there. I want you with me. I need you with me." She relaxed against him and kissed his neck repeatedly. "I love you, Kara."

"I love you too." She whispered.

****

Kara felt a knot of nerves in her stomach as she drove down the road and pulled in the driveway. She turned off the ignition and looked at Lee. "Why don't you go in and see how she is. I can wait here for a couple of minutes."

"Don't be silly, Kara. You can come in with me."

"Lee, I've never met her before. I'm sure she won't want this to be the first time she sees me. Maybe it was a mistake me coming here."

He climbed out of the jeep and walked round to her side of the vehicle. He took her hand in his and gently pulled her from her seat. "I need you with me when I do this, Kara. I don't think I have the strength to do this on my own."

She knew he was right but it still felt wrong. She walked closely behind him as he slowly made his way to the front door. Her hand was at his waist and she hoped he would find it a comfort. He opened the door and was met by darkness; a darkness that had shrouded the whole house. Kara felt Lee pause as he saw the house that had once been a home to him and his brother. Her other hand slipped into his and she squeezed it in reassurance.

"Lee?" It must've been his mother; her voice making its way to the two of them from the depths of the house.

"Yeah, mum. It's me. Where are you?"

"In the kitchen." Was the faint reply.

Lee looked over his shoulder at Kara and she could see the worry etched on his face. He turned away from her again and she saw the tension building in him as he pulled himself more upright. Slowly they walked into the dark; no lights being turned on as Lee made his way through the familiar surroundings. Finally they were in the kitchen and now Lee reached for a lamp and turned it on. The soft glow lit the room and Kara saw the shell of Lee's mother sitting at the table. She also saw a bottle of Ambrosia and a glass sitting in front of her. Kara could understand and sympathize with her. Lee, however, didn't seem so sympathetic; he walked forward and removed the bottle and glass from the table; taking them over to the sink. "You don't need that, mum."

"What do you know about what I need?"

"I know how you feel."

"Have you lost a son before?" She bit back at him.

"Of course I haven't." He snapped back at her and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "He was my brother. I looked after him throughout his childhood; times when both you and dad weren't there. I know what it's like to lose someone." Silence fell on the room and Kara watched as the two of them both struggled with their emotions. The tension was high in the room; you could almost taste it. "Have you heard from dad?" He could barely say the word.

"He's on his way home. He should be here later today."

"We won't stay long then."

"I'm sure he wants to see you, Lee."

"Well I don't want to see him."

"Lee…" Kara said softly; finally introducing herself to the conversation.

Lee looked up and stared at her; his eyes softening as he looked into hers. "I'll come over tomorrow and see him. I can't see him today. I'm too angry about everything."

"Angry?" His mother questioned.

"Zak shouldn't have been in that Viper, mum. You and I both know that."

She stared at her son; seeing the determination and belief written over his face. She realized it would be a bad decision if she forced him to stay and see his father. "You're right. It was a mistake for Zak to go to the Academy but there was nothing either of us could've done to change his mind. He can… he could be quite stubborn when he wanted to be. Like two other men I can think of." There was more silence. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Lee walked over to Kara and slipped his hand in hers. "Mum, I'd like you to meet Kara. She's who I was telling you about last time I was here."

Kara stepped forward and held her hand out towards Lee's mother. "It's great to finally meet you, Mrs Adama. I'm sorry it's under such awful circumstances."

She took Kara's hand and gripped it softly. "You knew Zak, didn't you?" she said quietly.

"I did, I taught him at the Academy. It's because of him that Lee and I are together. Zak was a wonderful young man and was a credit to you and your husband."

"I think Lee deserves just as much credit as we do, but thank you for your kind words." Tears were beginning to well in her eyes and Kara hoped she wouldn't see the other woman cry; knowing that would be enough for her to start as well. "I'm glad I'm getting the chance to meet the girl who's made my son so happy. He deserves some happiness. He's a lucky boy."

"I plan on making him happy for a long time, Mrs Adama. It's me that's lucky, not Lee."

"Please call me Carolanne."

"Is there anything Lee or I can do for you? Is there anything you need?"

Carolanne smiled at her slightly. "The only thing I need isn't possible."

Kara knew she meant Zak and swallowed down the tears that were dying for escape. Lee walked up behind her and put his arm around her waist. "Why don't Kara and I put something together for us all to eat? I'm sure it's been a while since any of us have eaten anything."

The two of them walked into the kitchen and soon they were preparing a light meal for all of them. Eating was the last thing Kara wanted to do; especially after earlier this morning but the normality of the task made her feel a little better. Carolanne had walked out of the room a few minutes after they'd started and Kara knew Lee was a little worried about her. As they waited for the food to cook Kara leant against Lee; his arms still wrapped around her waist. Again she felt so much for him and she hoped her presence was helping him. She lifted her head and looked up at him; stretching her neck so she could kiss him softly on the lips. The kiss deepened quickly and he weaved his fingers through her hair; holding her lips against his mouth. The timer on the cooker rang out breaking them apart which was probably a good thing before Lee's mother came back in. Kara stepped away from him and was soon plating the food for the three of them. Lee took two of the plates over to the table and came back for the third; kissing her softly on the mouth before moving back to the table. Soon the three of them sat and tried to eat the meal before them. None of them really made much of an impact on the food; all just going through the motions and pushing it around their plates more often than they put it in their mouths.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not hungry." Carolanne said; pushing her plate away from her. Kara and Lee both agreed with her and they also stopped the pretense of eating. "You can leave the dishes, your dad and I will do them later. He should be here soon."

"We'd better be going then." Lee said gently. "Are you alright on your own until he gets here?"

"I'll be fine."

"Do I need to pour that bottle down the sink?" he said softly; not looking at Kara as he spoke.

His mother stared at him. "I said I'd be fine."

"Drinking won't help, mum. You know that."

"I know. I'm the parent here, not you. Stop mothering me." Her voice was sharp and Lee knew not to mention it any further. Her voice softened when she spoke again. "I'll call you tomorrow with the details for the funeral. Your dad thinks it'll probably be in a couple of days. You will be there won't you, Kara." She nodded at the distraught mother. "It was good to meet you, Kara. I'm glad my son has finally found someone like you."

When they both sat back in Kara's jeep Kara reached for his hand and squeezed his hand tightly. "Do you think we should be leaving her on her own?"

"I can't be here when he gets here."

"I know that, Lee but will she be okay on her own?"

"She should be as long as she doesn't turn to alcohol." Kara didn't say anything. "She's an alcoholic. She has been ever since Zak and I were young; when dad was away a lot and she struggled to deal with two young sons." Kara looked at him as he stared out of the front windscreen. "I was just about old enough to see what was going on and I had to take a more prominent role in looking after Zak. He was still a baby really; he didn't realize we barely had any parents to look after us. We became closer; I'd have done anything for him. It was me and him against the rest of the world. Mum got herself sorted out after a couple of years I guess. Dad came home and spent some time planet side while she got the help she needed."

"I know what it's like to live with an alcoholic mother. My mum drank a lot throughout my childhood. She still does as far as I know. You should realize how much it must've taken for her to admit she needed help. It's something my mother never did; even now I can guarantee she thinks her drinking isn't an issue."

"Let's go back to your apartment." He said and she did as he asked.

****

The day had started off sunny but now the demeanor of the day was becoming ever more depressing; which seemed fitting. Kara was wearing her dress uniform and she stood in the doorway of her bedroom watching Lee as he stood contemplatively in the middle of her room. A towel was wrapped around his waist and she could see the tension in his body; the muscles in his back and arms evident. The last few days had been incredibly tough for both of them and Kara was beginning to think cracks were starting to form in their relationship which scared her. She took some steps forward and walked over to Lee.

Lee watched her as she moved in front of him; seeing her loosen the towel and it fall the floor. It had been difficult the last couple of days and he knew it was mainly his fault. He couldn't remember the last time they'd made love; all he could remember since he'd got back to Caprica was small rows flaring up between them; angry words being exchanged and bitter silences. Each night they'd gone to bed together; in the same bed but they may as well have been on different planets. Each morning they'd been wrapped around each other as they'd sought comfort from each other during the night. He wanted desperately to make things right between them but all he could focus on at the moment was the loss of his brother.

Kara dressed him slowly; completely focused on her task; making sure each item of clothing was perfectly placed. In no time he was in his dress uniform. "It's nearly time to go," she whispered. He nodded at her; wishing he could say something to ease the tension between them. "Did you sort some flowers out yesterday?" Another nod. "Your mum mentioned you doing a reading when we were over there the other day, do you have it with you?"

"I don't need it. I know what I'm going to say."

"Lee, today is about your brother, not whatever it was you think your father did. You have remembered that, haven't you?"

"I know that. Don't worry, I won't make a scene. I wouldn't want to embarrass my father." His tone was bitter and it stung.

"Lee, that's not what I meant and you know it."

"I know. Sorry." Even he thought he sounded like a young child and he hated the way he was behaving. "I'm reading a poem that Zak loved when he was as school."

"Okay." She turned and walked across the room; making sure she had everything she needed before they left.

"Can we talk when we get back this evening? I mean really talk." He was determined to make an effort in working things out with her.

She looked back at him over her shoulder and Lee could see the worry on her face. "Should I be worried?"

He smiled as he remembered when he'd said those very words to her. He shook his head. "I just want to try and sort out things between us; I want to try and reconnect with you."

"Okay." She smiled at him softly and then left the room.

Lee stood where he was for a couple more minutes; trying to compose himself for what he was about to go through. He was ready; well, as ready as he was ever going to be anyway.

****

A car has arrived to collect them and they sat in the back seat in silence. Lee reached over and took her hand in his and as they approached the cemetery his gripped tightened. Both of them were staring out of the windows and Kara saw the clouds darken as they got nearer. "I think it's going to rain." She murmured.

"Seems appropriate." He replied.

"Even the Gods are unhappy." She squeezed his hand. Lee was about to speak when the car stopped and he saw his parents some distance away from them. His grip was almost painful on her hand now and she winced slightly as it tightened even further. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek; a gentle reminder to him that she was there for him.

"I don't know if I can do this, Kara." he whispered.

"Let me help you, Lee. I'll be with you all the way through this."

"I don't think I can face my father again; not after the other day."

Kara looked at him and she knew he was as close to the edge as he'd been that first day he'd come back. He was right; when they'd seen his father just two days earlier it hadn't gone well. Lee had almost sulked for the first hour they were there and his dad had obviously been drinking for several hours before. Kara had noticed Carolanne was extremely twitchy when they'd arrived and you could taste the atmosphere in the house; it was a taste that turned her stomach. Things had remained the same throughout the meal that none of them really ate or enjoyed. It was Lee's dad that started the fight that quickly escalated. And Kara still felt it was her fault for the row beginning. William Adama had made a small comment; blaming the Academy for not teaching Zak properly that had set off Lee. The elder Adama obviously hadn't realized it was Kara that taught Zak but Lee was quick to inform him of his error. The Commander had apologized for his mistake and Kara had accepted it; knowing it was the grief (and alcohol) talking more than anything else. This did nothing to dampen Lee's temper and soon the two men were sharing insults and heated words. Kara and Carolanne watched as Lee laid all the blame for Zak's death at his father's feet and when Kara stepped towards him to try and stop him from going too far; it was too late and all she received for her effort was a sharp shake of his head. And a row when they got back to her apartment for her effort. Another one. She finally spoke to Lee as he sat beginning to unravel before her. "Just try to ignore the fact he's there. Remember what we're here for; for Zak. He wouldn't want the two of you fighting, not today." Lee seemed to have aged over the last few days; since his brother's death but at the same time he seemed younger as well and Kara was struggling to deal with his rapid mood swings.

"Okay."

The driver of the car opened the door and the two of them climbed out onto the pavement. There were a lot of people at the funeral; a lot of people Kara recognized from his class at the Academy; other teachers that she worked with and a lot of other people besides. Everyone began to filter into the cemetery and walked towards the coffin and grave. Kara was holding Lee's hand as they walked and she noticed his steps were becoming slower the nearer they got. She glanced up at him, "Breathe, Lee." He looked down at her quickly and a faint smile appeared on his face; although it didn't quite get as far as his eyes.

They stood on the other side of the grave from Lee's parents and Kara saw the distress in his mother as she clung to her husband. Kara almost smiled as she noticed that Lee and his father were so similar to each other; both of them had withdrawn into themselves. Kara hoped that someday they'd be able to resolve their differences but she knew it would be sometime before they'd do that.

The service started and at the same time so did the rain. The service was simple and Kara knew it suited Zak completely; it would've been exactly what he wanted. She knew the organization of the service was down to his mother and she'd had to do it on her own. The only thing Lee had done to help was to choose the reading he would shortly be doing. She was yet to see what his father had contributed and she doubted she ever would but she didn't doubt that he loved his son; she had no doubt that he loved both his sons.

Lee moved to the head of the coffin and began to recite the poem he'd chosen; his words heavy with emotion. He reached the end of the first verse and his eyes met hers; panic clear on his face. She walked towards him quickly and took his hand in hers. His eyes were almost wild now and he was gasping for breath. "I can't remember the next verse." He whispered to her.

A vein was standing out on his temple and she reached her hand up to his face and traced a finger down it. The way they were standing hid her from the other people's view; she took the opportunity to whisper to him. "Inside my jacket, in the pocket is a piece of paper with the poem written on it. I found it on the table in the lounge this morning and brought it with me." His hand slipped inside the pocket and pulled the paper out; unfolding it quickly. She was about to walk away from him when his hand tightened its grip on hers; so she stayed where she was. His voice was raspy as he read the rest of the poem and she knew he was the verge of breaking down like he had that first day.

The ceremony ended and she watched through misty eyes as the coffin was lowered into the grave. She could feel Lee's hand shaking in hers and she wished they were alone so she could comfort him the way she wanted to. People slowly began to leave the graveside and eventually there was just the three Adama's and Kara left. Carolanne Adama was weeping in her husband's arms and after some minutes William led her out of the cemetery.

The rain had got heavier since the ceremony was over and both Kara and Lee were now soaked; neither seemed to notice though. Lee dropped to his knees; his hand tugging on hers slightly as he fell. She crouched beside him and pulled him into her arms. Tears were streaming down his face and she wished she could do something to remove his pain. He turned his head and kissed her passionately; his hand brushing the side of her face. Quickly it became obvious he wanted to take things further and Kara pulled away from him. "What's wrong?" he said.

"Not here."

"I need you." She could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Lee, we're not doing this at the side of his grave. Gods, it's the first time since he died and I'm certainly not doing it here."

He backed away from her and rose to his feet. Her heart broke as he walked away from her. "I'll be in the car." He said; his voice brittle.

Kara stood for a couple of minutes beside Zak's grave. The sky split with a crack of lightning; the rumble of thunder following it immediately. A storm was directly overhead and Kara wasn't surprised. She could feel her own personal storm approaching at speed just as fast as this had arrived.

TBC

A/N: So what do you think? Like it... let me know. Next time - the last chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

So here it is... the last chapter of this story. As a special treat, it's especially long. :-) Sorry for the delay in posting this - life is a little hectic currently and the week just slipped by. I'm not sure the title really fits the arc of the story takes now - but then I guess that's what happens when you change the way your story ends partway through. Nevertheless, I hope you like it. Thanks to everyone for the reviews - it's very much appreciated.

**Brief Encounter.**

**Chapter 6.**

The ride back to her apartment was tense and Kara couldn't pluck up the courage to talk to him. She'd wait until they were home before she said anything; knowing it was going to be a difficult conversation – in fact probably another row and not wanting it to happen in public. She wasn't sure she was looking forward to it though. As soon as the car stopped Lee was out of it and he was waiting at the door for her when she eventually walked up the path. He stepped to one side so she could open the door. Once they were in the apartment the tension increased even more; which Kara hadn't thought possible.

She walked into her bedroom and began stripping off her uniform; leaving it littered across the floor. She felt drained and she longed for Lee to take her into his arms; knowing the likelihood of this was extremely low. The last few days it had felt like Lee was the one who'd died, not Zak. He'd been pulling away from her and she felt as if she was unable to do anything right. She was fast losing hope of this working and didn't know what she could do to make it better. When she thought about it she knew it was Lee who needed to take the first step in fixing the problems between them. It was him that kept pushing her away and whatever she did, he needed to be in a receptive mood for her attempt. That was something she was unable to predict, especially in the last few days. She understood he was grieving for his brother and he was feeling the pressure of being the only remaining Adama son but she was growing tired of him taking everything out on her.

Lee was standing in the middle of the lounge when she left her room; she was wearing just a pair of shorts and vest top. He was exactly as she'd left him and she sighed; knowing it was going to be a long evening. "Do you still want to talk?" she whispered. He turned to look at her and she could tell he hadn't understood what she meant. "Earlier you said you wanted to talk when we got back. I wondered if you still wanted to."

He shook his head. "I don't want to talk."

Kara's heart plummeted as he spoke. He'd pushed her away again. She'd been so hopeful this morning when he'd suggested they talk and now he wasn't interested in the slightest. She wasn't sure she could take anymore of this. This was it. She could see the end and she felt sick because there was nothing she felt she could do to stop it from happening. She felt sick; angry and frustrated because there was little she could change about it all. She'd thought they'd be able to get through this; that they'd be able to help each other through it all. Not for the first time she was beginning to doubt that would be the case. She walked back into her bedroom and shut the door with a slam behind her; needing to put some space between the two of them. She turned her back to the door and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor. As soon as she was sitting she felt the situation begin to overwhelm her; the despair setting in. Tears flooded her eyes and she wiped her hands over them quickly; her make-up smudging slightly across her face. She wouldn't cry; she refused. Unfortunately her body wasn't thinking along the same wavelengths and soon tears were coursing down her cheeks and shook as she cried silently. She drew her legs up to her body and wrapped her arms around them; resting her forehead on her knees.

****

The handle of the door turned a while later and she felt Lee try to push the door open. "Kara?" She swallowed as she heard the emotion in his voice; knowing that if she spoke she'd hear the same thing in her own. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to keep pushing you away." She could hear a slight hint of desperation in his voice and she wondered if he'd finally realized just what he was doing to them. She sat in silence; not sure she knew how to respond to him; knowing that one wrong word would just turn into another row. "Please talk to me."

"So now you want to talk?" Her voice sounded harsh even as she whispered to him through the door. She couldn't keep the resentment from her voice; much as she wanted to.

He was silent for a while but eventually he did speak. His voice sounding much closer to her than it had before. "I deserve that, I know. I'm sorry. Please let me in."

"I don't know if I can do that, Lee." Now it was her that was pushing him away; but she felt incredibly vulnerable and she wasn't sure she wanted Lee to see her that way.

More silence. "Do you want me to leave?" He asked quietly. He sounded so unsure; scared about how she would answer him.

She couldn't talk; her mouth was dry and her stomach was clenched so tight. She sat where she was; completely unsure of what would happen next. She felt so tired; she just wanted to sleep but knew she wouldn't be able to; not until she at least attempted to work things out with Lee. The problem was she didn't know how to resolve the issues they had. There seemed to be too many for them to get over. Maybe they should just give up now. Just the thought of that made her heart clench and she knew she would never be able to make that decision. That would have to be a decision that Lee made, not her.

The other room had gone quiet and she suddenly thought he may have taken her not answering as confirmation he should leave. She stopped breathing as she realized that was the last thing she wanted. Rushing, she pushed herself to her feet as quick as she could; not wanting him to go despite everything and she pulled the door open with a whoosh. Lee had obviously been leaning against the other side of the door and as she opened it he ended up lying on the floor; staring up at her. She looked down at him and looked deep into his eyes; seeing some emotion there. For the first time since he'd arrived at her apartment all those days ago she saw something in his eyes that gave her a little hope. Hope that things may not be quite as desperate as she'd thought they were.

"Hi." Her voice was breathless. He smiled at her slightly as she spoke. "You didn't leave…"

"I thought I'd ruined things." He murmured. "I can go if you want me to."

She shook her head. "We just need to start working through our problems together, rather than shutting each other out." She longed to touch him; to hold him in her arms but she held back; wanting him to make the first move. She moved hesitantly to her bed and he watched her go. "I don't want to lose you, Lee but it hurts me when you won't let me help you. I keep trying but you won't let me in. I'm running out of options." She pulled her legs up onto the bed and her hands wrapped around them; sitting in the same position she had behind the door.

He clambered to his feet and soon sat next to her on the bed. He reached for one of her hands and she turned it over so their fingers laced together. She could feel the cold in his hand from when they'd both got soaked at the cemetery. "I don't mean to push you away but I'm scared of letting you in."

"Why?" He didn't say anything. "I thought you loved me. Why is it so hard for you to open up to me?"

He looked at her; completely serious. "Never doubt that I love you." He squeezed her hand; his thumb brushing the back of her hand; sending tendrils of warmth through her. "If I truly open up to you about how I feel, I'm not sure I'll be able to deal with it all."

"You will be able to if I help you. Lee, I won't let you fall apart. I'll be there for you through it all. I promise. We can do this together. We can do anything; as long as we work with each other."

"I know." He leaned back so he lay down on the mattress. "I'm so tired, I feel like I could sleep for a week."

"I feel like I want to but I know I won't be able to."

Lee stared up at her. "Why not?"

"I just can't." She'd hesitated and she knew he'd pick up on it.

He did. "Is it because of me? Is it something I've done?" She shook her head. He pulled her so she lay beside him and then dragged her closer to him. The clothes he was wearing were still quite wet from earlier but she didn't let it bother her; too caught up in her thoughts. "Talk to me."

She was silent for some time. She felt guilty for even bringing this up but she knew it was something that really was worrying her. She licked her lips and began to speak. "Why haven't we made love since he died?" Her words were quiet but shook Lee to the core. She could almost feel him thinking back over the last few days and realizing she was right.

"I don't know. I want to but something keeps holding me back."

This time it was him that had hesitated. "What?"

"I guess I feel guilty for still being alive."

"Zak wouldn't want you to stop living, Lee. He'd want you to live your life to the full."

"I know." There was silence for several seconds. During that time he stared at her. "You do know I still love you, don't you?" he whispered.

She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. "Can I kiss you?" she whispered back. He smiled at her and she took that as a yes. She leaned forward and placed her lips on his. He pulled her on top of him and deepened the kiss; his previous concerns leaving as soon as she kissed him. She pulled away from him slightly. "Show me, Lee." She begged him.

"What?"

"How much you love me. Prove to me how you feel." Kara was the one with desperation in her voice now.

He stared at her and her words worked on his arousal immediately. The passion that had been flooding his system at the cemetery returned renewed and he kissed her again; putting as much effort into it as he could. His hands were pulling at her vest; silently removing it from her body; only pausing kissing her so he could pull it over her head. "Are you sure this is what you want, Kara? You didn't earlier."

She looked down at him; unable to ignore the desire in his eyes. It was the first emotion she'd truly seen in them apart from grief in the last few days. "It wasn't that I didn't want it, Lee. I don't think I'd ever not want this. It was the fact we were at the cemetery that made me stop. I didn't feel right to do this there; it seemed disrespectful." His eyes moved from hers and she could see guilt edging onto his face. He was back at the graveside; not with her. "Hey, don't do that. Don't pull away from me." He looked at her again. "I want you so badly, Lee. I have done since the day you came back." She rolled off him and snuggled into his side; feeling his arm wrap around her waist.

After a few minutes he rolled them and stared into her eyes. "This is the most normal I've felt since I came back. For a second I can almost pretend it hasn't happened and then it all comes back to me and it hurts so much."

She could see tears welling in his beautiful eyes and she craned her neck up and kissed him softly on the mouth. "Its okay, Lee. We don't have to do this." She whispered against his lips.

"That's just it, I want to. I want to make love to you. I want to make things right between us."

"You already have." The corner of her mouth lifted into a small smile.

"No I haven't. I've been a complete ass over the last few days. I've pushed you away even though it was the last thing I wanted to do."

"Why?"

"I wanted to punish myself, I think. I should've been able to persuade him not to go to the Academy. If I'd been able to do that none of this would've happened."

"Lee, the only person who's to blame for all this is Zak. I hate to say it but he knew he wasn't good enough to be a Viper pilot. We both tried to tell him. He just wouldn't listen." She closed her eyes briefly; hoping she had the courage to tell him what he needed to know. "I spoke to a friend of mine who works at the airfield yesterday."

"About?"

"What happened the day Zak died. I wanted to know how he managed to secure a flight in a Viper so quickly."

"What did he say? Did he see Zak?" He stared at her face.

"I'm not sure you're going to want to hear this."

"Tell me. I need to know." His voice was urgent.

Her hand moved up to his face and her fingers stroked his cheek; moving up to his forehead and trying to remove the lines of worry that seemed ever present these days. "He was there with a couple of his mates from his class. They were all messing around; joking with each other. My friend thought they might've had something to drink but he couldn't be certain."

"Zak would never drink before he got in a Viper."

"I found it hard to believe as well but it seems he did. My friend is an engineer there; he maintains the planes. He was standing near the Vipers when they walked over; all suited up to go in the air. Zak's friends were teasing him; my friend thought he looked a little nervous. He heard Zak say something just before he got in the Viper."

"Does he remember what Zak said?" She nodded at him. "What was it?"

"He said he wanted to go up in a Viper before they took it away from him; before they realized their mistake." She drifted into silence and saw the realization creep onto his face. "He knew, Lee. He knew he hadn't passed and he still got in that Viper. He knew he didn't have the ability and he still did it. So you see; he's the only one to blame for all this. You're right; your father may have pushed him into going to the Academy. Zak may have gone because he wanted to be just like you; because he idolized you but nobody made him get in that Viper; nobody apart from Zak. I know this isn't what you want to hear, Lee but it was his fault."

Lee rolled off her and Kara wasn't surprised. She wished she could take back the last few minutes. Why had she chosen now to tell him what she'd discovered? She knew he needed to hear it; that maybe now he might be able to forgive his father. She just wished she'd waited until they'd made love first. Her need to feel him in her was great; it had been a long time since she'd experienced it and the fact she'd waited this long since he'd come back was almost too much for her. Now there was a chance it would be even longer.

Lee suddenly moved from her even further and sat up on the bed. Kara's concern grew as she thought he was pulling away from her again. She watched as she saw him begin to remove his dress uniform; having some difficulty at times because it was still damp and clinging to his body. He'd risen to his feet by now and as he moved his hands to his pants she hoped she was beginning to understand him. He paused and looked at her as he saw her watching him. "You remember how I said nothing you told me make me feel any less for you?"

"Yes." She said softly; her voice could hardly be heard; that one word carrying all the trepidation she was feeling around the room.

"I was right." He climbed back onto the bed and moved so he lay on top of her. "I love you. I don't think that's ever going to change."

"I'm glad." He kissed her tenderly. "Are you going to make love to me now?" she asked him after the kiss ended.

"If you insist…" he whispered.

She knew he was teasing her but she felt she had to confirm to him how she felt. "I do."

They both moved to remove the final barriers between them; shedding so much more than just the clothing they were wearing. Lee's gaze heated as he saw her naked body before him. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her with no clothes on since Zak's death but it was the first time he'd really been able to appreciate it; had taken the time to really look at her. She was still as stunning as he remembered her being from that first night with her. His anticipation for this moment had been growing ever since he'd gone back to the Atlantia. The conversations and letters they'd shared during their separation had been a good way to get to know each other but it had done little to help with the obvious attraction they had to each other. He knew they'd both longed to be able to touch each other.

Lee remembered the many nights he'd gone back to his bunk after speaking to Kara and wished more than anything he could hold her in his arms. The tension in his body each time had been palpable and he'd usually had to resort to relieving the tension with his own hand. It had been the same each time he received a letter from her. Initially their letters had been relatively short as they both tried to feel each other out and work out what was going on between them. After a couple of weeks though they'd increased in length; to the point where reading a letter from Kara could take up to half an hour. As soon as he read her letter he was compelled to write a reply; which was apparently also the case for Kara as well because the letters between them were frequent. This was another reason it was so surprising to Lee that the letters increased in length each time. They wrote so frequently it was astounding to Lee that they had anything to write about; even more so if you considered the conversations they had as well. Whatever the reason, the letter and calls left Lee in a state of arousal that always lasted for some time afterwards; the sound of her voice making an impact on him each time.

Now it was the two of them in person and they were finally going to get together; again Lee was even more aroused than he'd been before. He was already erect before they'd finished removing their clothes and now he was lying on top of her and his length was trapped between them. "I can't believe this is finally happening. I've dreamt about this moment since the first time I spoke to you on Atlantia."

"Me too, Lee." Her mouth kissed the base of his neck; featherlike kisses dotted across his skin. Her head fell back to the mattress as he pushed into her; their eyes locked on each other as they became one. "So good… I'd almost forgotten how this felt." She whispered.

"I had too." He held his position once he'd pushed all the way in. "Are you ready for this?" She nodded and he began to move; setting a slow pace they both enjoyed. It wasn't long though before their movements became more frantic; kisses shared, caresses felt as they both strived to reach their peaks. For the first time in several days they were finally communicating with each other in the best way they knew how. Later would be the time for them to verbally do it but for now their current method was more than enough for both of them.

Kara felt the moment she came; her body reacting hard to the way he filled her; tightening on him as he moved with her. Tears came to her eyes as she watched his face; his eyes looking at her intently in return. He was still thrusting into her; his movements needy and she could see the concentration on it; his eyes shut now as he focused on moving in her. His hands were gripping her hips; pulling her against him each time he moved back into her. Her hand stroked the side of his cheek and his eyes opened; staring once more into hers intently. Kara bit her lip as she felt his movements falter slightly. He was close; she knew it. His head fell to her shoulder and she kissed the side of his face softly; her hand moving into his hair.

"I love you, Lee Adama," she whispered into his ear. He gasped; the exhale of air tickling her shoulder. She shifted beneath him and then he was pulsing within her; his whole body shaking as he came as hard as she had just moments earlier. He rolled away from her; his hands pulling her with him so they lay on their sides facing each other. "Each time gets better." She said softly. "I remember now what I've been missing."

"I missed you too. More than I thought I would." They were silent for sometime; taking the time to enjoy the feeling of being close to each other again. Finally they seemed to be working through their issues together.

Kara looked down at his face as he lay in front of her; his head resting on her shoulder; his eyes closed and his lips pressed against her neck. "You're the most important person in my life, Lee. I don't know how to tell you that other than to just say it." Her hand brushed through his hair and she saw the small smile appear on his face. "Time's so short; I don't want to spend time away from you, Lee. I don't think I can go through that again."

"Me neither." He lifted his head and his lips met hers again in a passionate kiss. He was still buried deep within her and he began again to move in her; extremely slowly. This time was more leisurely as they moved with each other. He rolled them so she was now on top of him and lifted herself up on her arms a little. His hands moved to her breasts and caressed each one tenderly. "We still have a lot of issues we need to work through. I know that but I need to feel this connection with you. I need to feel something other than grief."

"Let me help you."

"You already have, Kara. More than you realize."

She renewed her movements on him and he sighed as she did so. His fingers moved again; brushing the side of her breasts as he sat up. His mouth pulled a nipple into it and Kara's head fell back; a moan slipping past her lips. He moved to her other breast and bathed it with the same attention. Kara felt like it was the real Lee she was with; finally he seemed to be letting her in. They came together; a moment of purity and peace; a combination of two beautiful souls, entwining and embracing each other.

They were wrapped around each other as they both tried to recoup. This was the closest Kara had felt to Lee since she'd first met him. "We still need to talk, Lee. There are things we need to discuss. The situation we've been stuck in isn't going to change because we had sex."

"Made love." He whispered.

She smiled against his shoulder, "Okay, made love. It doesn't change the fact, we still have problems."

"We can make this work though, can't we?" There was hope tinged with fear in his voice and it gave Kara the hope she needed.

"I want to, Lee. I want this more than anything." She kissed his shoulder softly. "Tell me about Zak."

"What about him?"

"Tell me what you remember about him."

"You met him. You knew him."

"I knew him for a few months, Lee. You knew him the whole of his life. I want to know he was like. What you loved about him. What he did that annoyed you the most."

Lee stared at her. "He was born when I was six. It felt like my life was starting all over again."

"How?"

"Before he was born things at home hadn't been great. My dad was away a lot and my mother and I rarely saw him. After he was born he was around much more. I finally had the family I never even knew I was missing."

"Were you put out that he was the reason your father began to spend time with you all?"

"Not really."

"What did you think about Zak when he was first born?"

"I loved him. Straightaway. I remember the first time I saw him; he was only a few hours old and he was this small tiny bundle of screaming baby. All he did for the first few weeks was cry and scream. I think it shocked my mother; he was nothing like me when I was born apparently. I guess that was a constant theme throughout our lives. He was always what I wasn't. I studied hard at school and he played around, just doing enough to scrape through. He was the life and soul of any party and I never really felt like I fitted in anywhere."

"You don't seem to have that problem now."

"I'm still nowhere near what Zak was like but things became a little easier for me when I got to the Academy."

"What else?"

Lee looked down; a faint blush coming to his face. "As Zak grew older he seemed to have this innate ability with girls; seemed to know what he should say, what they wanted from him."

"I find it hard to believe that didn't come naturally to you, Lee."

"It didn't. I found it difficult. I still do most of the time."

"It wasn't like that with me."

"It was different with you."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. I felt this instant attraction to you. You're beautiful. You're fiery. The first time I looked into your eyes I wanted to frak you; right there in the middle of the restaurant."

She smiled at him. "Apparently I bring out the bad boy in you."

"Maybe. I knew I was right when I first kissed you; the first time I was in you. Every moment since then too. There's a connection between us. Do you feel it too?"

She kissed him. "You know I do."

"When we flew together I felt like I'd died and gone to the fields of Elysium. The hardest thing I ever had to do was leave you that evening. I wanted to stay with you so badly. I would have abandoned my duty with the Fleet if you had asked me to."

"I wish I had."

"I wish you had too. I would've had the chance to spend more time with Zak. We weren't exactly on the best terms the last time I saw him."

"Is that because of me?" she whispered.

He stared at her. "You were what we argued about but it wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything."

"I feel like it's my fault."

"It's not. There were a few things about Zak that I hated. He may have been more confident with girls but he treated them pretty badly. Long term relationships weren't what he did. We fought because he thought I was the same as him. I told him I wasn't and he told me I was an idiot."

"I thought he liked me."

"He did. He may have been the reason we got together Kara, but he didn't think we would stay together. He couldn't understand that kind of commitment and I guess that's probably because of how things were when we were younger."

"I don't understand?"

"My parents never had a conventional relationship. By the time Zak was three things were pretty much the same as they'd been before he was born. Dad was away all the time again and mum had started drinking by this time. I was the only person in his life; the only constant and I was only nine. It stayed the same way for some time; until he was six; until mum got the help she needed and Dad came home to look after us."

"What makes you think that was what changed him?"

"My parents are still married but they may as well not be. It's always the same, Dad comes home; spends a couple of days with us all. Zak and I used to see how happy mother would be when he was home; how she was more like the mum she was supposed to be; how we wanted her to be. Then Dad would leave and mum would fall apart again. Zak loved our father more than anything; he idolized him; put him on a pedestal so high he must've had vertigo. I guess it is little wonder he was determined to go to the Academy. And he grew up thinking that was the way you treated someone you loved."

"It's not all your dad's fault, Lee." He looked at her. "He may have influenced Zak but he wasn't the only person to grow up there. You did and you're nothing like that; you don't treat women that way."

"I haven't treated you well for the last week."

"Exceptional circumstances. Anyway, my point was you didn't choose to treat girls like that, Zak did. It was his choice. Like it was his choice to get in that Viper."

"I know. You're right, I guess."

"I usually am," she said; a smirk on her face. His kissed the end of her nose and pulled her in for another hug.

He pulled them both back onto the mattress and she rolled over so her back was against his chest. Their fingers wove together and he squeezed her hand a little tighter. "I've been thinking about what you said the other day." He kissed her shoulder, distracting her somewhat from what he was saying.

"What did I say?" She looked at his face, over her shoulder.

"About you coming to Atlantia." He held her gaze and saw the fear in her eyes.

"And?"

"I want you there too. I want you with me; now and always."

She smiled at him tenderly. "What do you think are the chances of me getting a posting there?"

"I'm meeting Admiral Nagala tomorrow. He's on Caprica; visiting the Academy. He called me yesterday evening and asked to meet me. I could mention about you wanting to become part of the crew and see what he says."

"Do you think there'll be room for a screw up pilot like me?"

"If he's got any sense; he'll make room for you. And you're not a screw up."

"I hope he will."

Again his eyes fixed on her face and she watched; seeing the wheels of his brain turning as he thought about something. His eyes pulled from hers momentarily before coming back to rest on her face. His hand moved to brush the side of her cheek. "There is a way we could make it slightly easier." His hand moved away and he kissed her cheek instead; his lips remaining there when the kiss ended.

"Yes?" Almost a gasp as she wondered what he was suggesting.

"Marry me."

"What?" She was stunned. This she hadn't been expecting.

"You heard me."

"We hardly know each other. It's only been a couple of months. It's too soon for you to be asking me that."

"I know enough to know that I want you in my life for the rest of my life, however long that may be. I want you with me. I don't want to be apart."

"But marriage…?" She was hesitant. She didn't know what to say.

"Why not?" His arm tightened around her waist; pulling her closer to him. "I love you. I want you to be part of my future." He paused; her hesitancy rubbing off on him. "Don't you want the same thing?" He could barely speak.

"I want you."

"But…"

"I'm not sure I'm the marrying kind. I don't know what that means. My parents were divorced by the time I was five. They're my only source of reference."

"Just think about it, okay? Please?"

"Okay."

****

Lee was staring at her when she opened her eyes. "Did you get any sleep?" she whispered.

"A little." His mouth twitched in a smile.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better than yesterday I guess." He leant forward and kissed her; it quickly deepening.

She pulled away and smiled at him. She got out of the bed and held out her hand towards him. "I have an idea."

He stood in front of her; his smile matching hers. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Her smile grew as she led him across the room and into the bathroom. He instantly began to walk over to the shower. "Not there." She turned the taps on in the bath. A little bubble bath went into the flow and she thought back to the last time she'd seen Lee. She'd done this not long before he'd arrived. Lee was standing behind her now and he was kissing her neck; sucking on the same spot as always and biting it gently.

"I think I like your idea better." He whispered against her skin.

Minutes later she was lowering herself into the water; Lee sitting behind her, having got into the bath first. His arm was again around her waist and held her against him; his fingers brushing softly across her skin. His other hand held one of hers and their fingers laced as they both held tight. She leant her head back and rested it on his shoulder. "Can I do anything for you, Lee? Is there something you want?"

"Just you." He whispered. She sighed as his hand at her waist slipped lower; his fingers still working their magic. He touched her intimately and she moaned softly; turning her head so she could kiss him on the neck. One digit slipped inside and her body arched away from him at his touch. Another moan slipped from her lips.

"Gods, Lee. Right there."

His hand moved with purpose; another finger added. Kara's breathing was short; her pulse racing against his lips as he smiled against her neck. His cock was aching; trapped between their bodies; each time she moved, her ass pressing against it. He longed to be in her again; wanting and needing to reinstate the connection between them. He knew they needed to talk more; things were better between them now than they had been but they hadn't really resolved the issues they'd struggled with over the last few days. "We should probably talk some more."

"Later…" she begged.

"I guess it can wait." He pulled his fingers from her and moved both hands to her waist. He lifted her slightly and her hand took hold of his cock. Between them they managed to move so it was at her entrance; then he lowered her again so he pushed back into her.

She licked her lips as she felt him push into her. She would never grow tired of this. Ever. "The answer's yes." She said softly.

"Answer?"

"To your question last night."

Lee stopped moving as he realized what she was saying. "You'll marry me?"

"Yes." She gasped. She turned her head and her mouth moved towards his; the kiss deep and fiery.

Desire flooded his body and he moved beneath her again; Kara joining him in movement as they both moved to their goal. His hand moved back to the juncture of her legs and he pressed on her clit; increasing the pressure as he felt her reaction to what he was doing with her. She moaned into his mouth as his thumb stroked her hard.

Kara needed oxygen and she needed it badly. She pulled her mouth from his and stared into his eyes. The way he was touching her and moving within her was more than she'd ever imagined it could be. She knew she'd made the right decision. She'd never regret this.

They maintained eye contact and soon both fell over the edge; a heady mixture of anticipation and sensuality. As they calmed they lay against each other; hands entwined again. Kara kissed his neck; gradually bringing her mouth up to his jaw and then this mouth. He breathed her name as she began to move on him once more; enticing him to begin the dance all over again. Her tongue swept around his mouth and then against his. Soon they'd left the bath and were back in her bed; still wrapped around each other; sharing the odd kiss, a cuddle and touches as they both slowly drifted off to sleep.

****

Kara was standing outside the room and she looked at the clock nervously. It was time. Her hand turned the handle with ease and she walked through the now open door. Looking forward she saw Lee standing there wearing his dress uniform, looking as nervous as she felt. She smiled at him and then walked the few meters to where he stood. As he took her hand in his she knew this was really happening. The last week had flown by. She looked past Lee and saw his mother standing at his side; smiling at her gently.

She was drawn to the Priestess in front of them both as she began to read the service. In a matter of minutes it was done. She was now Kara Adama and she'd never felt happier. Lee kissed her deeply and she returned the favor; her hand gripping his slightly tighter. "Mrs Adama, I believe we have a ship to get to." He said.

"We do." Carolanne Adama stepped towards them and Kara hugged her impulsively. "We're so glad you could come."

"I wish Lee's father had been able to attend."

"He was given the opportunity, mum. He chose not to come. He could've delayed his return to Galactica."

"I know, Lee." She looked disappointed at her husband's decision, knowing that things would never be the same in their family again.

"We should really be going, mum. Will be you be okay getting home?"

"I'll be fine. There's a car outside waiting for me. Go back to your ship, Lee and take your beautiful wife with you."

Lee hugged her, his emotions threatening to escape at her words. "We'll be back to see you soon mum."

"Look after each other, Lee. You never know what's going to happen in the future."

"We will, mum." Lee took Kara's hand again and they began to walk out of the room.

"Lee, Kara." They turned to look back at her. "I am going to get to enjoy being a grandmother at some stage, aren't I?"

Kara glanced at her husband; a small smile appearing on her face. "Maybe, mum." She said. "Sometime in the future."

"Not for a while though, mum." Lee said.

"I can wait. I just wanted to make sure it was going to happen. Having children is one of the best things you can ever experience."

The wistful look on his mother's face reminded Lee of what they'd all lost recently. He wished Zak had been here to see this. He was sure he would have found it hysterically funny to have witnessed him and Kara getting married and would've taken the credit for getting them together in the first place. The thought brought a smile to his face and as he shared a look with his new wife; correctly guessing she would know what he was thinking. They walked out of the building hand in hand.

"Do you want to go and see his grave?" Kara asked him. He nodded; needing to say goodbye to him before he left the planet. They walked to the graveside; seeing flowers laid all over the surface. Kara stopped and let him walk forward to the grave on his own; knowing he needed some time with his brother. She watched as he crouched by the grave and looked at the flowers that had massed on top of it. She didn't hear what he was saying but could imagine he was telling Zak about their wedding; knowing Zak would've been highly amused.

Lee looked at her over his shoulder and held out his hand towards her. She reached for it and stood beside him. "Zak, I'd like you to meet your sister-in-law. I'm sure you think this is all because of you, don't you? I guess in a way it is. If you hadn't set us up, this may never have happened. So thank you." They were both silent for a couple of minutes. Lee looked at Kara. "I didn't think you wanted children?" he said softly; talking to her now rather than his brother.

She'd been waiting for this question. "I might've changed my mind." She studied his face. "Does that scare you? Is it okay if I have?"

He stared at her. "You know, I think it is. For the first time, the thought of having a child doesn't scare me."

"Me either." She looked at the grave in contemplation. "We can call our first son Zak, if you want."

"That would be nice." He smiled at her; brushing his hand down the side of her face. "Have I told you that you look beautiful in that dress?" She shook her head; smiling up at him. "You do. The dress is pretty spectacular. Like you."

"We should be getting to the shuttle. Atlantia won't wait for us forever."

"You're right." They began to walk away from the grave and towards the car that was waiting for them. Lee stopped as he realized something Kara had said just minutes earlier. "What do you mean, first son?" Kara smiled as she continued walking. "How many do you think we're going to have, Kara?"

She turned to face him; walking backwards out of the gates. "I guess that's up you, Lee." She turned back and he walked up to her. "Why don't I let you surprise me?"

"I think it's you that keeps surprising me, Kara."

"In the mean time, we can just continue practicing; until the time is right."

"Sounds like a plan." He agreed, smiling.

The End.

A/N: So what do think? Do you like it? Please let me know. And if you submit a review, I'll tell how this was going to end before I took the last few paragraphs off - I may even send them to you!


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